predict

verb

pri-ˈdikt How to pronounce predict (audio)
Definition of predictnext
as in to read
to tell of or describe beforehand I can't even begin to predict what housing prices will be like 30 years from now

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word predict different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of predict are forecast, foretell, prognosticate, and prophesy. While all these words mean "to tell beforehand," predict commonly implies inference from facts or accepted laws of nature.

astronomers predicted an eclipse

How are the words forecast and predict related?

Forecast adds the implication of anticipating eventualities and differs from predict in being usually concerned with probabilities rather than certainties.

forecast snow

Where would foretell be a reasonable alternative to predict?

While the synonyms foretell and predict are close in meaning, foretell applies to the telling of the coming of a future event by any procedure or any source of information.

seers foretold the calamity

How does the word prognosticate relate to other synonyms for predict?

Prognosticate is used less often than the other words; it may suggest learned or skilled interpretation, but more often it is simply a colorful substitute for predict or prophesy.

prognosticating the future

When can prophesy be used instead of predict?

The words prophesy and predict can be used in similar contexts, but prophesy connotes inspired or mystic knowledge of the future especially as the fulfilling of divine threats or promises.

prophesying a new messiah

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of predict But ask it to explain why a person is pacing nervously near a fence, or predict what might happen next in a crowded room — and suddenly, the illusion of intelligence falls apart. —Kolawole Samuel Adebayo, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025 Many commentators are already predicting a Versant-Global Networks merger. —Max Goldbart, Deadline, 13 June 2025 There's no way to predict how future generations may view grief tech. —ArsTechnica, 13 June 2025 Houser predicted that soldiers could soon begin handling arrests. —Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for predict
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predict
  1. read
  2. anticipate
  3. foretell
  4. forecast
  5. warn
  6. prognosticate
  7. presage
  8. announce
Verb
  • Thank you all for reading these recaps and having such great conversations in the comments along the way.
    — Caroline Framke, Vulture, 13 June 2025
  • Outcome framing can read as cosmetic if representation metrics quietly disappear. 4.
    — Heather Price, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025
Definition of read
Verb
  • The National Retail Federation also anticipated skyrocketing prices on clothing, household appliances, furniture and more.
    — Dryden Pence, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
  • Earlier this week, the U.S. May consumer inflation report also came in cooler than anticipated.
    — Nur Hikmah Md Ali, CNBC, 13 June 2025
Definition of anticipate
Verb
  • This gothic lampoon opens with a Mary Shelley quote that foretells the weird science to follow, but each vulgar kink is more unexpected than the last.
    — Vanessa Franko, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2025
  • But is the past foolproof in foretelling the future?
    — Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 17 May 2025
Definition of foretell
Verb
  • At this pace, nonalcoholic beer is forecast to surpass ale as the second-largest beer category by volume worldwide this year, behind only lagers.
    — Bailey Schulz, USA Today, 8 June 2025
  • This year’s annual report from the IFA forecasts that franchise GDP will keep increasing, with franchising growing faster than the broader U.S. economy, which the Congressional Budget Office projects will grow 1.9%.
    — Patrick Galleher, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
Definition of forecast
Verb
  • Continue reading … ‘VERY DAMAGING’ – '60 Minutes' correspondent Scott Pelley warns against CBS settlement with Trump.
    — , FOXNews.com, 9 June 2025
  • Silicon Valley tech exec Dion McKenzie warned that expectations of a 996 culture could make VC funding even more out of reach for early-stage startups.
    — Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 8 June 2025
Definition of warn
Verb
  • But our sorry showing in the early rounds undercuts any claim to prognosticating success.
    — Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 31 Mar. 2025
  • Most other publications didn’t even bother prognosticating.
    — Dan Freedman, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
Definition of prognosticate
Verb
  • The eurozone, for example, has made little progress in recent years toward greater economic and financial integration, and its core economies have taken a populist, rightward turn, presaging political instability.
    — ESWAR PRASAD, Foreign Affairs, 23 May 2025
  • The mixed messaging would presage his style as a pontiff whose doctrinal conservatism would blend with increasingly progressive public statements.
    — Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2025
Definition of presage
Verb
  • The new parents announced their son’s arrival a few days after his birth, sharing a joint Instagram post with a photo of the newborn sleeping next to a wooden sign.
    — Jacqueline Weiss, People.com, 6 June 2025
  • His final match as a professional footballer — Morton announced his sacking on September 19 — ended in a 1-0 defeat.
    — Stuart James, New York Times, 6 June 2025
Definition of announce

Browse Nearby Words

predicating
predict
predictability
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Predict.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predict. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.

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