Definition

Noun: 1. A person who claims to or appears to discern another person's unspoken thoughts: This refers to someone who performs an act, often as entertainment, where they seemingly read the private thoughts of another person. This is typically achieved through trickery, observation, or secret signals from a partner. 2. A person believed to have the psychic ability of telepathy: This refers to someone purported to possess the supernatural or paranormal power of directly perceiving or communicating thoughts without using the known senses.

Examples of Usage

• As a performer:
  • The thought-reader at the carnival amazed the audience by correctly identifying the object a volunteer was thinking of.
  • He worked as a thought-reader and mentalist, creating the illusion of mind reading.
• As a purported psychic:
  • She claimed to be a genuine thought-reader and offered private consultations.
  • The novel features a character who is a thought-reader, able to hear the inner dialogues of those around her.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in a skeptical or dismissive context to describe a trick or illusion, rather than a real ability.
  • The scientist dismissed the so-called thought-reader as a clever fraud using cold reading techniques.

Variants and Related Words

• Mentalist (noun): A performer who simulates psychic abilities such as telepathy, clairvoyance, and mind reading, often emphasizing that it is a skill of psychological manipulation and observation rather than supernatural power.
• Telepath (noun): A person who is said to possess the psychic ability of telepathy (direct mind-to-mind communication).
• Mind reader (noun): A more common, informal synonym for "thought-reader."

Synonyms

• Mind reader
• Mentalist (when referring to a performer)
• Telepath (when referring to a purported psychic)

Related Idioms and Phrases

• To read someone's mind: To correctly guess what someone is thinking. This phrase is commonly used figuratively.
  • "I was just about to ask for a glass of water!" "Oh, I must have read your 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