prophesy


Also found in: Thesaurus, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

prophesy

to speak as a prophet; to foretell future events: He will prophesy the next world war.
Not to be confused with:
prophecy – a prediction; the inspired utterance of a prophet: His prophecy was that the world would come to an end soon.
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree

proph·e·sy

 (prŏf′ĭ-sī′, -sē′)
v. proph·e·sied (-sīd′, -sēd′), proph·e·sy·ing (-sī′ĭng, -sē′ĭng), proph·e·sies (-sīz′, -sēz′)
v.tr.
1. To reveal by divine inspiration.
2. To predict the future with certainty. See Synonyms at foretell.
3. To prefigure or foreshadow: "The wind was in the east, and the clouds prophesied rain" (Jacob Riis).
v.intr.
1. To reveal the will or message of God; speak or write as a prophet.
2. To predict future events; make predictions.

[Middle English prophecien, from Old French prophecier, from prophecie, prophecy; see prophecy.]

proph′e·si′er n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

prophesy

(ˈprɒfɪˌsaɪ)
vb, -sies, -sying or -sied
1. (Theology) to reveal or foretell (something, esp a future event) by or as if by divine inspiration
2. (Ecclesiastical Terms) (intr) archaic to give instruction in religious subjects
[C14 prophecien, from prophecy]
ˈpropheˌsiable adj
ˈpropheˌsier n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

proph•e•sy

(ˈprɒf əˌsaɪ)

v. -sied, -sy•ing. v.t.
1. to foretell or predict.
2. to indicate beforehand.
3. to utter in prophecy.
v.i.
4. to make predictions, esp. by divine inspiration.
5. to speak as a mediator between God and humankind or in God's stead.
[1350–1400; Middle English; v. use of variant of prophecy]
proph′e•si`er, n.
syn: See predict.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

prophesy


Past participle: prophesied
Gerund: prophesying

Imperative
prophesy
prophesy
Present
I prophesy
you prophesy
he/she/it prophesies
we prophesy
you prophesy
they prophesy
Preterite
I prophesied
you prophesied
he/she/it prophesied
we prophesied
you prophesied
they prophesied
Present Continuous
I am prophesying
you are prophesying
he/she/it is prophesying
we are prophesying
you are prophesying
they are prophesying
Present Perfect
I have prophesied
you have prophesied
he/she/it has prophesied
we have prophesied
you have prophesied
they have prophesied
Past Continuous
I was prophesying
you were prophesying
he/she/it was prophesying
we were prophesying
you were prophesying
they were prophesying
Past Perfect
I had prophesied
you had prophesied
he/she/it had prophesied
we had prophesied
you had prophesied
they had prophesied
Future
I will prophesy
you will prophesy
he/she/it will prophesy
we will prophesy
you will prophesy
they will prophesy
Future Perfect
I will have prophesied
you will have prophesied
he/she/it will have prophesied
we will have prophesied
you will have prophesied
they will have prophesied
Future Continuous
I will be prophesying
you will be prophesying
he/she/it will be prophesying
we will be prophesying
you will be prophesying
they will be prophesying
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been prophesying
you have been prophesying
he/she/it has been prophesying
we have been prophesying
you have been prophesying
they have been prophesying
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been prophesying
you will have been prophesying
he/she/it will have been prophesying
we will have been prophesying
you will have been prophesying
they will have been prophesying
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been prophesying
you had been prophesying
he/she/it had been prophesying
we had been prophesying
you had been prophesying
they had been prophesying
Conditional
I would prophesy
you would prophesy
he/she/it would prophesy
we would prophesy
you would prophesy
they would prophesy
Past Conditional
I would have prophesied
you would have prophesied
he/she/it would have prophesied
we would have prophesied
you would have prophesied
they would have prophesied
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Verb1.prophesy - predict or reveal through, or as if through, divine inspiration
forebode, predict, prognosticate, foretell, promise, anticipate, call - make a prediction about; tell in advance; "Call the outcome of an election"
vaticinate - foretell through or as if through the power of prophecy
irradiate, enlighten - give spiritual insight to; in religion
2.prophesy - deliver a sermon; "The minister is not preaching this Sunday"
evangelise, evangelize - preach the gospel (to)
lecture, talk - deliver a lecture or talk; "She will talk at Rutgers next week"; "Did you ever lecture at Harvard?"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

prophesy

verb predict, forecast, divine, foresee, augur, presage, foretell, forewarn, prognosticate, soothsay, vaticinate (rare) She prophesied the Great Fire of London and her own death in 1561.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

prophesy

verb
To tell about or make known (future events) by or as if by supernatural means:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
يَتَنَبَّأ
prorokovatvěštit
forudsigespå
proreći
jövendöl
spá, segja fyrir um
veštiť
prerokovati
kehanette bulunmak

prophesy

[ˈprɒfɪsaɪ] VT (= foretell) → profetizar; (= predict) → predecir, vaticinar
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

prophesy

[ˈprɒfɪsaɪ]
vtprophétiser
viprophétiser
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

prophesy

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

prophesy

[ˈprɒfɪˌsaɪ] vtpredire, profetizzare
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

prophecy

(ˈprofəsi) plural ˈprophecies noun
1. the power of foretelling the future.
2. something that is foretold. He made many prophecies about the future.
ˈprophesy (-sai) verb
to foretell. He prophesied (that there would be) another war.
ˈprophet (-fit) feminine ˈprophetess noun
1. a person who (believes that he) is able to foretell the future.
2. a person who tells people what God wants, intends etc. the prophet Isaiah.
proˈphetic (-ˈfe-) adjective
proˈphetically adverb

prophecy is a noun: Her prophecy (not prophesy) came true.
prophesy is a verb: to prophesy (not prophecy) the future.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
References in classic literature ?
Of this Partridge was no sooner acquainted, than he, with great earnestness, began to prophesy, and assured Jones that he would certainly have good success in the end: for, he said, "two such accidents could never have happened to direct him after his mistress, if Providence had not designed to bring them together at last." And this was the first time that Jones lent any attention to the superstitious doctrines of his companion.
Eurymachus son of Polybus then said, "Go home, old man, and prophesy to your own children, or it may be worse for them.
They will jeer at me when I prophesy, and prophesy with the utmost confidence, that at the next presidential election the socialists will poll over a million votes."
Old Master Cheever had lived so long, and seen so many generations of school-boys grow up to be men, that now he can almost prophesy what sort of a man each boy will be.
It tried its best, but the instrument was built so that it couldn't prophesy fine weather any harder than it did without breaking itself.
I now prophesy that I will dismember my dismemberer.
Listen, the spirit of life is in me and I prophesy. I prophesy!
Their Historians affirm, that a Prophet who prophesy'd of Mahomet, came from this Temple, and some do not stand to assert, that the Prophet Jonas was cast forth by the Whale at the Base of the Temple.
For a prophesy to be valid it needs to be specific about the event and the time of the event.
It goes without saying that the prophesy about Russia's nuclear attack on Turkey is absolutely true, because the "hidden, secret saint" confirmed it to nutcase Neophytos.
But Okupe had a comforting prophesy for the departed one; he would return as governor again!
A prophet is born with the ability to prophesy and see.