“What-ifs are almost always registered as negative. We prognosticate [prɑˈɡnɑstɪˌkeɪt] the worst-case scenarios probably as a means to be prepared for the worst. ‘Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst’ is a well-known adage [ˈædɪdʒ] that programs negative thinking.” — Bruce Wilson, Psychology Today, 7 May 2023

prognosticate [prɑˈɡnɑstɪˌkeɪt]
verb

To prognosticate is to predict or foreshadow something.

ultimately traces back to the Greek word prognōstikos (“knowing beforehand, prescient”), first appears in English during the 15th century.


adage [ˈædɪdʒ]
noun
a proverb or short statement expressing a general truth

English