soothsayer

• southsayer (obsolete)

From Middle English sothsaier, zothziggere, by surface analysis, sooth (“truth”) +‎ sayer.

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈsuθˌseɪɚ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈsuːθˌseɪə/

• Audio (US):

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soothsayer (plural soothsayers)

1. One who attempts to predict the future, using magic, intuition or intelligence; a diviner.
   • 1951 March, John W. Cline, “The Future of Medicine”, in Northwest Medicine, volume 50, number 3, Portland, Ore.: Northwest Medical Publishing Association, page 165:

     It is a great pleasure to be with you today and to speak to you concerning the future of medicine. In so doing, I do not wish to pose as a soothsayer or crystal gazer.

   • 1988, Shoshana Zuboff, In the Age of the Smart Machine, New York: Basic Books, page 7:

     The past twenty years have seen their share of soothsayers ready to predict with conviction one extreme or another of the alternative futures I have presented.

   • 2025, Suzanne Vega, Gerry Leonard, “Speakers' Corner”, in Flying with Angels:

     The doomsday prophet / Whose words have all come true / The naysaying soothsayer / So cynical and blue

2. A mantis (Mantodea spp.)
3. (obsolete) One who tells the truth; a truthful person.
4. A double dart moth (Graphiphora augur).

• soothsay

• prognosticator
• seer
• prophet