doomsayer

doomsayer

English

WOTD – 19 December 2012

WOTD – 19 December 2014

Etymology

doom +‎ sayer

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈduːmˌseɪ.ə/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈdumˌseɪ.ɚ/

• Audio (US)

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• Audio (AU)

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Noun

doomsayer (plural doomsayers)

1. One who makes dire predictions about the future; one who predicts doom.
   • 1970, Frank Herbert, New world or no world, page 141:

     Even from the doomsayers you hear reflections of hope. Nobody wants "it" to happen. In his darkest moments, man is aware that, while he may be limited, humankind need not be.

   • 1983, John R. Gribbin, Stephen H. Plagemann, Beyond the Jupiter effect, page 76:

     4: THE DOOMSAYERS

     So many people have written so many books and articles forecasting doom at the end of the twentieth century that we cannot possibly do credit to all of them here.

Synonyms

• apocalyptic, apocalypticist
• doomtard (slang, derogatory)

Related terms

• doomsaying

Translations

one who predicts doom

Dutch: doemprofeet (nl) m, ondergangsprofeet m, onheilsprofeet (nl) m French: apocalyptique (fr) m German: Apokalyptiker (de) m, Untergangsprophet m (rare) Norwegian: Bokmål: dommedagsprofet m Nynorsk: dommedagsprofet m

Spanish: agorero (es), catastrofista (es) Swedish: domedagsprofet c

See also

• pessimist
• millenarian, millenarianist, millenarist, millenialist
• soothsayer

Anagrams

• mooseyard