crystal gazing: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Mainly informal, often critical
Quick answer
What does “crystal gazing” mean?
The practice of looking into a crystal ball or other reflective surface in an attempt to see visions of the future or gain spiritual insight.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The practice of looking into a crystal ball or other reflective surface in an attempt to see visions of the future or gain spiritual insight.
Making predictions or speculations about future events, especially in a way considered fanciful, unscientific, or based on guesswork rather than solid evidence. Often used pejoratively.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or spelling. Both varieties use the term metaphorically in similar contexts, though the core practice is culturally associated with Romani and 19th-century spiritualist traditions on both sides of the Atlantic.
Connotations
Equally dismissive and skeptical in both BrE and AmE when used metaphorically.
Frequency
Medium-low frequency in both. Possibly slightly more frequent in BrE in journalistic/political commentary, but evidence is anecdotal.
Grammar
How to Use “crystal gazing” in a Sentence
[Subject] + be + crystal gazing[Subject] + indulge in/engage in/accuse [Object] of + crystal gazingVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “crystal gazing” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The pundits are just crystal-gazing about the election outcome.
- I refuse to crystal-gaze on house prices.
American English
- Stop crystal gazing and show me the data.
- He's been crystal gazing about his tech startup for months.
adverb
British English
- He spoke crystal-gazingly about the distant future. (Rare/Non-standard)
American English
- (Adverbial use is extremely rare and non-idiomatic.)
adjective
British English
- It was a crystal-gazing exercise with no factual basis.
- His report was dismissed as crystal-gazing nonsense.
American English
- We need solutions, not crystal-gazing predictions.
- The article was full of crystal-gazing speculation.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used critically to dismiss overly speculative market forecasts or business plans lacking data. (e.g., 'Their five-year projection is just crystal gazing.')
Academic
Used pejoratively to criticize methodologies seen as unscientific or not evidence-based, especially in futurology or某些 social sciences.
Everyday
Used to describe trying to guess unpredictable outcomes, like the result of a sports match or a friend's relationship. (e.g., 'Who will win? I'm not into crystal gazing.')
Technical
Not used in hard sciences. May appear in skeptical commentary on parapsychology or fringe science.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “crystal gazing”
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “crystal gazing”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “crystal gazing”
- Using it to mean 'having a clear vision' (the opposite of its meaning).
- Misspelling as 'crystal gazing' (no 'l' in gazing).
- Using it in a positive sense.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
In its core, literal meaning describing the occult practice, it can be neutral. However, in its vastly more common metaphorical use, it is almost always negative and dismissive, implying a lack of evidence or rationality.
Yes, though less common than the noun form. It is often hyphenated ('to crystal-gaze') and remains informal and critical (e.g., 'They're just crystal-gazing').
'Forecasting' implies a systematic, often data-driven attempt to predict. 'Crystal gazing' is used to mock such attempts as being as arbitrary and unscientific as the occult practice it names.
Yes, that is the literal, original activity. 'Crystal gazing' is the name for that activity and, by extension, the metaphor derived from it.
The practice of looking into a crystal ball or other reflective surface in an attempt to see visions of the future or gain spiritual insight.
Crystal gazing is usually mainly informal, often critical in register.
Crystal gazing: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkrɪs.təl ˌɡeɪ.zɪŋ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkrɪs.təl ˌɡeɪ.zɪŋ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “It's not crystal gazing, it's...”
- “a crystal-gazing exercise”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a BUSINESS ANALYST looking sadly at a broken crystal ball instead of a spreadsheet. This 'crystal gazing' won't give real data.
Conceptual Metaphor
SEEING IS KNOWING (THE FUTURE). FUTURE IS A (MISTY/DISTANT) SCENE. (With the negative entailment that the 'scene' is obscured or imaginary.)
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'crystal gazing' most likely used CRITICALLY?