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Glite Dictionary
to act like an oracle

to act like an oracle

8.6
To predict future events very accurately as if you already knew them
  • idiom
translation icon : actuar como un oráculo
  • Everyone was amazed when she acted like an oracle and described the results before they happened.

Examples

  • He tends to act like an oracle during meetings, making remarkably accurate predictions.

  • Don’t expect me to act like an oracle—I can’t foresee every possible outcome.

  • Don't act like an oracle just because you read a few books!

  • She acts like an oracle when it comes to predicting trends.

  • During the strategy session, he acted like an oracle by accurately predicting the market shifts for next quarter.

  • Her ability to act like an oracle impressed everyone; she accurately foretold the unexpected changes in the company's direction.

  • Whenever there are tough decisions to make, she acts like an oracle, offering insights that seem almost prophetic.

Synonyms

to predict
vsto act like an oracle
812 3.0

To say what will happen in the future

suggests greater precision and seeming expert foresight
to anticipate
vsto act like an oracle
109 3.2

To expect that something will happen

implies stronger certainty and seeming expert foresight
to foretell
vsto act like an oracle
41 7.0

To say what will happen in the future

implies higher accuracy and wise insight beyond just signs
to previse
vsto act like an oracle
  • Archaic
9.9

To know something before it happens

relies more on accuracy and deep insight than mere early notice

Antonyms

random
527 3.4

Happening without a plan and by chance

ignorantly
4 5.1

In a way that shows you do not know or understand something

How Predictive

to act like an oracle
8.6
to foresee
77 3.9
to predict
812 3.0
to speculate
254 4.8

Surface Forms

act like an oracle infinitive
acted like an oracle past
acted like an oracle past participle
acting like an oracle present participle
acts like an oracle third person singular

Morphology

act + like + an + oracle

The phrase composes straightforwardly from 'act' (behave) + 'like' (as if) + 'oracle' (a seer who predicts the future), so its sense of behaving as if one can predict outcomes is directly inferable. This is a transparent simile following common cross-linguistic patterns, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would understand the intended meaning.

Etymology

Act like an oracle comes from old stories about the oracle, a person in a temple who seemed to know the future and spoke with calm surety. So when someone acts like an oracle today, they 'predict' events with strong confidence, as if they could see what will happen.