fortune-teller

A fortune-teller reads a woman's palm in a tent at a fair.

Definition

Noun:
- A person who claims to predict the future: A "fortune-teller" is someone who professes to be able to foretell events or reveal a person's destiny, often through methods such as reading tarot cards, palmistry, or crystal balls.

Usage Examples

Advanced Usage

"to consult a fortune-teller": to seek advice or predictions from such a person.
- Many people consult a fortune-teller before making major life decisions. (They ask for future guidance.)
"fortune-teller's booth": a stall or tent where a fortune-teller operates.
- The carnival had a fortune-teller's booth decorated with stars and moons. (A small structure for fortune-telling.)

Variants and Related Words

Fortune-telling (n): the practice of predicting the future.
- Fortune-telling is often considered a form of entertainment rather than a science. (The act of foretelling events.)
Fortune (n): luck, fate, or wealth.
- She believed her fortune was written in the stars. (Her destiny or luck.)

Synonyms

Soothsayer: a person who predicts the future (often used in historical contexts).
- The soothsayer warned the king of impending danger. (A fortune-teller in ancient times.)
Diviner: someone who uses supernatural means to gain knowledge of the future.
- The diviner used a pendulum to answer questions. (A fortune-teller employing a tool for divination.)
Prophet: a person regarded as an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of God (often religious).
- The prophet foretold the coming of a great leader. (A fortune-teller with divine insight.)

Related Idioms

Read someone's fortune: to predict a person's future, typically by a fortune-teller.
- The gypsy offered to read my fortune with a deck of cards. (To tell someone's destiny.)
Tell someone's fortune: to reveal what will happen to them in the future.
- She asked the fortune-teller to tell her fortune regarding her career. (To predict someone's future events.)