prophesy

[ˈprɒfəsi]

prophesy Definition

• 1. to say that something will happen in the future
• 2. to speak or write about what will happen in the future, especially on the basis of special knowledge

Using prophesy: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "prophesy" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

• Example

  The ancient Egyptians believed that their pharaohs could prophesy the future.

• Example

  The old woman prophesied that a great storm was coming.

• Example

  The book prophesies a world war in the near future.

• Example

  Many religious texts prophesy the end of the world.

prophesy Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for prophesy

• predict
• foretell
• forecast
• augur
• presage

Antonyms for prophesy

• doubt
• disbelieve
• ignore

Idioms Using prophesy

• prophets and losses

  a play on words of the phrase 'profits and losses', referring to the unpredictable nature of the future and the risks involved in making predictions

  Example

  Investing in the stock market is always a game of prophets and losses.

• prophesy doom and gloom

  to make negative predictions about the future, often without any evidence or justification

  Example

  The media loves to prophesy doom and gloom about the economy, but things are not always as bad as they seem.

• prophesy smooth sailing

  to predict that everything will go smoothly and without problems

  Example

  The weather forecast prophesies smooth sailing for our weekend trip to the beach.

Phrases with prophesy

• self-fulfilling prophecy

  a prediction that causes itself to come true because of the expectation that it will

  Example

  He was so convinced that he would fail the exam that it became a self-fulfilling prophecy.

• prophetic vision

  a vision or dream that seems to predict the future

  Example

  The prophet had a prophetic vision of a great flood that would destroy the city.

• false prophecy

  a prediction that turns out to be incorrect or untrue

  Example

  The doomsday preacher's false prophecy caused panic and chaos among his followers.

Origins of prophesy

from Greek 'prophēteia', meaning 'gift of interpreting the will of God'

📌

Summary: prophesy in Brief

To 'prophesy' [ˈprɒfəsi] means to predict or speak about future events, often based on special knowledge. It can refer to religious or secular predictions, such as 'The book prophesies a world war in the near future.' 'Prophesy' also appears in idioms like 'prophesy doom and gloom,' which means to make negative predictions without justification, and 'prophesy smooth sailing,' which means to predict that everything will go smoothly.