crystal-gazer

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person who claims to predict the future: A "crystal-gazer" is someone who professes to foretell events by gazing into a crystal ball, often considered a form of fortune-telling or divination.
   • Figuratively, an analyst of trends: In a metaphorical sense, a "crystal-gazer" can refer to anyone who attempts to predict future developments, especially in business, politics, or technology, based on intuition or limited data.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The carnival hired a crystal-gazer to entertain visitors with predictions. (A fortune-teller using a crystal ball as a prop.)
  • Economic crystal-gazers failed to foresee the recession. (Analysts who attempt to predict economic outcomes.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be a crystal-gazer": to engage in speculative forecasting without solid evidence.
  • He acts like a crystal-gazer when he predicts stock prices without research. (He makes unsupported predictions.)

Variants and Related Words

• Crystal ball (n): a spherical object used in fortune-telling; often a symbol of divination.

  • She stared into the crystal ball to see the future. (A tool for a crystal-gazer.)

• Gaze (v): to look steadily and intently.

  • The crystal-gazer would gaze into the ball for hours. (The core action of the fortune-teller.)

Synonyms

• Fortune-teller: a person who predicts the future by various methods.
• Seer: a person of supposed supernatural insight who sees future events.
• Oracle: a source of wise or prophetic statements.

Related Idioms

• Crystal ball gazing: the act of making predictions, often with a sense of skepticism.

  • The CEO's crystal ball gazing about next quarter's profits was overly optimistic. (Speculative forecasting.)

• Gaze into a crystal ball: to attempt to foresee the future.

  • If I could gaze into a crystal ball, I'd know if we'll win the contract. (To try to predict an outcome.)