"soothsay" meaning in English

See soothsay in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /ˈsuθˌseɪ/ [General-American] Forms: soothsays [plural]
Etymology: Formed as a back-formation from soothsayer or soothsaying, equivalent to sooth + say. Compare Old English sōþseċġan (“to say truly, declare”). Etymology templates: {{back-formation|en|soothsayer,soothsaying|nocap=1}} back-formation from soothsayer or soothsaying, {{af|en|sooth|say}} sooth + say, {{cog|ang|sōþseċġan|t=to say truly, declare}} Old English sōþseċġan (“to say truly, declare”) Head templates: {{en-noun}} soothsay (plural soothsays)
  1. Soothsaying; prediction; prognostication; prophecy.
    Sense id: en-soothsay-en-noun-VJiOtg7n Categories (other): English back-formations, English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English back-formations: 48 12 41 Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 43 26 31 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 53 13 35 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 52 21 26
  2. A portent; an omen.
    Sense id: en-soothsay-en-noun-SP9L7gjF Categories (other): English back-formations Disambiguation of English back-formations: 48 12 41

Verb

IPA: /ˈsuθˌseɪ/ [General-American] Forms: soothsays [present, singular, third-person], soothsaying [participle, present], soothsaid [participle, past], soothsaid [past]
Etymology: Formed as a back-formation from soothsayer or soothsaying, equivalent to sooth + say. Compare Old English sōþseċġan (“to say truly, declare”). Etymology templates: {{back-formation|en|soothsayer,soothsaying|nocap=1}} back-formation from soothsayer or soothsaying, {{af|en|sooth|say}} sooth + say, {{cog|ang|sōþseċġan|t=to say truly, declare}} Old English sōþseċġan (“to say truly, declare”) Head templates: {{en-verb|~s|~ing|soothsaid}} soothsay (third-person singular simple present soothsays, present participle soothsaying, simple past and past participle soothsaid)
  1. (intransitive) To foretell the future; make predictions. Tags: intransitive Related terms: soothsaw
    Sense id: en-soothsay-en-verb-6BcfanxE Categories (other): English back-formations Disambiguation of English back-formations: 48 12 41

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "soothsayer,soothsaying",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "back-formation from soothsayer or soothsaying",
      "name": "back-formation"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sooth",
        "3": "say"
      },
      "expansion": "sooth + say",
      "name": "af"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "sōþseċġan",
        "t": "to say truly, declare"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English sōþseċġan (“to say truly, declare”)",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Formed as a back-formation from soothsayer or soothsaying, equivalent to sooth + say. Compare Old English sōþseċġan (“to say truly, declare”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "soothsays",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "soothsaying",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "soothsaid",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "soothsaid",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~s",
        "2": "~ing",
        "3": "soothsaid"
      },
      "expansion": "soothsay (third-person singular simple present soothsays, present participle soothsaying, simple past and past participle soothsaid)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "48 12 41",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English back-formations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To foretell the future; make predictions."
      ],
      "id": "en-soothsay-en-verb-6BcfanxE",
      "links": [
        [
          "foretell",
          "foretell"
        ],
        [
          "future",
          "future"
        ],
        [
          "prediction",
          "prediction"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To foretell the future; make predictions."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "soothsaw"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈsuθˌseɪ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "soothsay"
}

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "soothsayer,soothsaying",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "back-formation from soothsayer or soothsaying",
      "name": "back-formation"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sooth",
        "3": "say"
      },
      "expansion": "sooth + say",
      "name": "af"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "sōþseċġan",
        "t": "to say truly, declare"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English sōþseċġan (“to say truly, declare”)",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Formed as a back-formation from soothsayer or soothsaying, equivalent to sooth + say. Compare Old English sōþseċġan (“to say truly, declare”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "soothsays",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "soothsay (plural soothsays)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "48 12 41",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English back-formations",
          "parents": [],
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        },
        {
          "_dis": "43 26 31",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "53 13 35",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "52 21 26",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Soothsaying; prediction; prognostication; prophecy."
      ],
      "id": "en-soothsay-en-noun-VJiOtg7n",
      "links": [
        [
          "Soothsaying",
          "soothsaying"
        ],
        [
          "prediction",
          "prediction"
        ],
        [
          "prognostication",
          "prognostication"
        ],
        [
          "prophecy",
          "prophecy"
        ]
      ]
    },
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          "_dis": "48 12 41",
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      "glosses": [
        "A portent; an omen."
      ],
      "id": "en-soothsay-en-noun-SP9L7gjF",
      "links": [
        [
          "portent",
          "portent"
        ],
        [
          "omen",
          "omen"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈsuθˌseɪ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "soothsay"
}
{
  "categories": [
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    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
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    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
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        "1": "en",
        "2": "soothsayer,soothsaying",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
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      "name": "back-formation"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sooth",
        "3": "say"
      },
      "expansion": "sooth + say",
      "name": "af"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "sōþseċġan",
        "t": "to say truly, declare"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English sōþseċġan (“to say truly, declare”)",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Formed as a back-formation from soothsayer or soothsaying, equivalent to sooth + say. Compare Old English sōþseċġan (“to say truly, declare”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "soothsays",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "soothsaying",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "soothsaid",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "soothsaid",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~s",
        "2": "~ing",
        "3": "soothsaid"
      },
      "expansion": "soothsay (third-person singular simple present soothsays, present participle soothsaying, simple past and past participle soothsaid)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "soothsaw"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To foretell the future; make predictions."
      ],
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        [
          "foretell",
          "foretell"
        ],
        [
          "future",
          "future"
        ],
        [
          "prediction",
          "prediction"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To foretell the future; make predictions."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈsuθˌseɪ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "soothsay"
}

{
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    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English verbs",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
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        "2": "soothsayer,soothsaying",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "back-formation from soothsayer or soothsaying",
      "name": "back-formation"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sooth",
        "3": "say"
      },
      "expansion": "sooth + say",
      "name": "af"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "sōþseċġan",
        "t": "to say truly, declare"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English sōþseċġan (“to say truly, declare”)",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Formed as a back-formation from soothsayer or soothsaying, equivalent to sooth + say. Compare Old English sōþseċġan (“to say truly, declare”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "soothsays",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "soothsay (plural soothsays)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Soothsaying; prediction; prognostication; prophecy."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Soothsaying",
          "soothsaying"
        ],
        [
          "prediction",
          "prediction"
        ],
        [
          "prognostication",
          "prognostication"
        ],
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          "prophecy",
          "prophecy"
        ]
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    },
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        "A portent; an omen."
      ],
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          "portent",
          "portent"
        ],
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          "omen",
          "omen"
        ]
      ]
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    {
      "ipa": "/ˈsuθˌseɪ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "soothsay"
}

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This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-08-28 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-08-05 using wiktextract (872fc7b and 4deed51). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.