fortune teller
noun
variants
or less commonly fortune-teller
plural fortune tellers also fortune-tellers
: someone or something with the supposed ability to foretell future events and especially the details of a person's future
For thousands of years, people have gone to fortune tellers because they wanted to know whom they would marry or whether they were going to be rich or famous.—
Muse
MuseSome of the fortune-tellers he encounters are ludicrously off the mark; others are uncannily accurate.—Michael Upchurch
Michael UpchurchYou do not have to be a fortune teller to realize that sneezes, sniffles, plugged up noses and red eyes will be making their appearance in most of our houses within the next two months.—Glenn Haege
Glenn HaegeBy the early 1900s it was possible to get a "psychic reading" from a mechanical fortune teller at the local penny arcade.—Ralph and Terry Koval
Ralph and Terry Koval
sometimes, specifically
: a child's toy that consists of paper folded into four pyramid-shaped parts which are manipulated by the fingers to open and close with each part having a flap that can be unfolded to reveal an answer to one's question about the future : cootie catcher
Some of the most commonly made folk toys are made of paper: fortune tellers (also known as cootie catchers), paper airplanes, spitballs shot through straws … —Lowell (Massachusetts) Sun
Lowell (Massachusetts) Sun Your child may choose to decorate the fortune teller … with stickers or drawings, or to color the outside squares instead of writing the name of a color. —Sally Worsham
Sally Worsham Examples of fortune teller in a Sentence
the carnival's fortune-teller should have predicted that I'd pass right by her
Recent Examples on the Web
There’s no fee per se, the fortune tellers do expect a small gratuity.
—Joe Yogerst, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
The grounds will drip and scatter, and this is what the fortune teller will analyze to determine your fortune.
—Tyler Shane, Wired News, 31 May 2025
There are also plans for tarot card games, and special visits from a fortune teller.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 1 July 2025
One dresses like a beatnik gymnast; the other like a Romanian fortune teller.
—Jeff Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2025
In it, a fortune teller (Vanessa Bayer) reads Tess and Anna’s palms and marvels at the fact that their life lines have intertwined in the past, while the mother-daughter duo tries to downplay that incident.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 6 June 2025
In the decades since, he’s made a killing as a food fortune teller, discovering and bringing to market some of America’s biggest restaurant brands.
—Jemima McEvoy, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
Nearly 30% of Americans consult New Age practices such as astrology, Tarot cards or fortune tellers, with some religious groups ranking among the most likely to look to the practices for guidance in their lives, according to a new poll.
—Natalie Demaree, Miami Herald, 21 May 2025
The study by the Pew Research Center survey, published May 21, surveyed U.S. opinion on astrology, tarot cards and fortune tellers.
—Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 27 May 2025
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Joe Yogerst, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
The grounds will drip and scatter, and this is what the fortune teller will analyze to determine your fortune.
—Tyler Shane, Wired News, 31 May 2025
There are also plans for tarot card games, and special visits from a fortune teller.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 1 July 2025
One dresses like a beatnik gymnast; the other like a Romanian fortune teller.
—Jeff Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2025
In it, a fortune teller (Vanessa Bayer) reads Tess and Anna’s palms and marvels at the fact that their life lines have intertwined in the past, while the mother-daughter duo tries to downplay that incident.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 6 June 2025
In the decades since, he’s made a killing as a food fortune teller, discovering and bringing to market some of America’s biggest restaurant brands.
—Jemima McEvoy, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
Nearly 30% of Americans consult New Age practices such as astrology, Tarot cards or fortune tellers, with some religious groups ranking among the most likely to look to the practices for guidance in their lives, according to a new poll.
—Natalie Demaree, Miami Herald, 21 May 2025
The study by the Pew Research Center survey, published May 21, surveyed U.S. opinion on astrology, tarot cards and fortune tellers.
—Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 27 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fortune teller.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fortune%20teller. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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