scry

S1C3R1Y4
/skɹaɪ/

verb

To magically or supernaturally look into or (as an entertainer) predict (the future), using crystal balls or other objects.

“The fortune teller claimed she could scry [into] the future.”

RareScrabble 9

Meanings

scry1

verbscry (third-person singular simple present scries, present participle scrying, simple past and past participle scried)

present singular third person scries · participle present scrying · participle past scried · past scried · alternative skry

  1. To magically or supernaturally look into or (as an entertainer) predict (the future), using crystal balls or other objects.

    The fortune teller claimed she could scry [into] the future.

  2. more broadlyfantasyTo use magical means to see or look into (something that is happening outside one's sight, e.g. inside a building or far away, or in the distant past, or future, etc).

    Scrying spells can simply toggle the state of hidden objects to the revealed state, […]

    2014 April 22, Jeff Howard, Game Magic: A Designer's Guide to Magic Systems in Theory and Practice, CRC Press, →ISBN, page 149
    3 more examples

    […] with the loss of Mekha, the shields and wardings on the temple had weakened. That meant Alonnen could now scry inside directly, albeit with a fuzzy view and no real hope of clear sound. On hearing that, Guardian-apprentice Pelai had suggested he could send in a whole series of clever, Mendhite-style scrying nodes.

    2014 May 6, Jean Johnson, The Guild, Penguin, →ISBN, page 239

    […] to get the kid's family back, they needed a plan. “You three keep an eye out. I'm going to scry inside that house.” “You sure that's a good idea?” Naleni asked. “If he's actually a string mage, no. He might sense [it].”

    2020 January 26, Stephanie Flint, The Restless Sands of Neel, Infinitas Publishing, page 66

    He glanced at the silver bowl on the table near the window. She had explained its purpose, how it was used to scry what was and what might be. He feared her device more than his for what was more frightening than an uncertain future? Her gaze followed his. She squeezed his hand and looked deeply into his eyes.

    2023 October 31, Garrett Boatman, The Clocks of Midnight, Crossroad Press
  3. obsoleteTo descry; to see.

    […]two ſhepheards curres, had ſcryde A rauenous Wolfe amongſt the ſcattered flockes.

    1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto XII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, page 352

scry2

nounscry (plural scries)

plural scries · alternative skry

  1. obsoleteA cry or shout.
verbscry (third-person singular simple present scries, present participle scrying, simple past and past participle scried)

present singular third person scries · participle present scrying · participle past scried · past scried · alternative skry

  1. obsoleteTo proclaim.

Origin

scry · verb

  1. Old Frenchescrier“to cry out”
  2. Middle Englishascrien
  3. Middle Englishscrien
  4. Englishscry

From Middle English scrien, scryen, a shortened form of Middle English ascrien, from Old French escrier (“to cry out”). Influenced by Middle English descrien (“to descry”).

Full word history & related roots →

scry · noun, verb

  1. Old Frenchescri
  2. Anglo-Normanascri
  3. Middle Englishascry
  4. Englishscry

From Middle English ascry, ascrie, escrie, from Anglo-Norman ascri, from Old French escri.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian гадая с кристал
  • гадая с кристал (gadaja s kristal)predict the future using crystal balls or other objects
Czech věštit
  • věštitpredict the future using crystal balls or other objects
Finnish katsoa kristallipallosta
  • katsoa kristallipallostapredict the future using crystal balls or other objects
Polish wróżyć ze szklanej kuli
  • wróżyć ze szklanej kulipredict the future using crystal balls or other objects
Portuguese prever, antever
  • preverpredict the future using crystal balls or other objects
  • anteverpredict the future using crystal balls or other objects
  • futurarpredict the future using crystal balls or other objects
Spanish agorar, augurar
  • agorarpredict the future using crystal balls or other objects
  • augurarpredict the future using crystal balls or other objects
  • vaticinarpredict the future using crystal balls or other objects

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with scry

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

scry. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scry

MLA

“scry.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scry. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “scry,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scry.

Source: scry on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.