prophesy Definition
- 1to say that something will happen in the future
- 2to 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
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.
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.
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.
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.