# Jeremiah

/ˌdʒɛɹəˈmaɪə/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/jeremiah
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. a prophet of doom

noun · CEFR C2 · Literary

someone who is very pessimistic and always warns that something bad or disastrous will happen in the future.

For teachers: a person who habitually prophesies doom or is pessimistic about the state of society and its future. Derived from the biblical prophet known for his lamentations.

- Don't be such a jeremiah; the economy is actually starting to improve.
- The editorial dismissed him as a mere jeremiah, arguing that his dire predictions of environmental collapse were unsupported by current data.

Usage: Often used with the indefinite article 'a' when referring to a person.

### 2. biblical figure

noun · CEFR B2

a famous prophet from the Bible who wrote about the troubles of his people.

For teachers: a major Hebrew prophet of the seventh and sixth centuries BC; also the name of the Old Testament book containing his prophecies.

- In Sunday school, we learned about the life and warnings of Jeremiah.
- Scholars often analyze the Book of Jeremiah to understand the political climate of Jerusalem during the Babylonian siege.

## Examples

- Don't be such a jeremiah; the plan might actually work.
- The economist was dismissed as a jeremiah until the market finally crashed exactly as he had predicted.
- While his colleagues celebrated the short-term profits, he played the role of the jeremiah, warning that the underlying debt structure was fundamentally unstable and destined for failure.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.