Definition

Noun: 1. A person who claims to or appears to know another person's thoughts: This refers to someone, often a performer or magician, who gives the impression of being able to discern the private, unspoken thoughts of another person, typically through trickery or non-verbal signals. 2. A person with telepathic ability: In a fictional or paranormal context, this refers to someone who possesses the supposed power to communicate thoughts directly or perceive the thoughts of others without using the ordinary senses.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The entertainer acted as a mind reader, correctly guessing the card the volunteer was thinking of.
  • She joked that her best friend was a mind reader because she often knew what she wanted before she said it.
  • In the science fiction novel, the alien species were all mind readers.

Advanced Usage

• Figurative Use: The term is often used figuratively to describe someone who is very perceptive or empathetic, making accurate guesses about another person's feelings or desires.
  • You brought me coffee? You're a mind reader; I was just craving one!

Variants and Related Words

• Telepath (n): A person who can communicate thoughts directly to another mind. (This is the more specific term for the paranormal definition).
• Mentalist (n): A performer who demonstrates highly developed mental or intuitive abilities, such as mind reading, through illusion and observation.

Synonyms

• Thought-reader
• Telepathist
• Mentalist (in a performance context)

Related Idioms

• To read someone's mind: To correctly guess what someone is thinking.
  • I was just about to ask for the salt—you read my mind!

Noun

1. a magician who seems to discern the thoughts of another person (usually by clever signals from an accomplice)
2. someone with the power of communicating thoughts directly