medicine man

noun

Definition of medicine mannext
as in witch doctor

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of medicine man But prosecutors told a different story, saying the man who was seen by some as a spiritual healer and medicine man used his position to prey on his victims. — Muri Assuncao, Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2026 An Anishinaabe Sculpture Park features statues of figures in action, from a fisherman to a medicine man and a meat and fish preservation drying rack. — Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 16 Nov. 2025 Costner cast Greene as real-life Lakota Sioux medicine man Kicking Bird in the film, a epic Western adapted from Michael Blake’s novel. — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2025 Lee-Gatewood said among those lost to the virus was a respected medicine man, whose deep knowledge of traditional ceremonies was invaluable. — Arlyssa D. Becenti, AZCentral.com, 8 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for medicine man
Recent Examples of Synonyms for medicine man
  1. witch doctor
  2. shaman
  3. sorcerer
Noun
  • She’s set on turning a frog prince, Naveen, back into a human after he’s cursed by an evil voodoo witch doctor, Facilier.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 17 July 2026
  • Blacks were not treated by white doctors in all-white hospitals but were sent to inferior facilities to be treated by men who were little more than witch doctors.
    — Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 3 May 2026
Definition of witch doctor
Noun
  • Ochre figures of hunters, eland, and dancing shamans come into focus.
    — Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
  • Along the way, travelers will meet local shamans, experience traditional llanero (cowboy) culture, and be led by a Mayan spiritual guide and archaeologist.
    — Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 18 June 2026
Definition of shaman
Noun
  • The sequence featuring Circe, the sorcerer who turns Odysseus’s men into pigs, might be the most disturbing of them all, not so much for what’s shown as for what’s implied, as the men’s body-horror-like transformations occur in tight shots.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 July 2026
  • But that apprehension is directed toward monsters, goddesses, sorcerers, and nymphs.
    — Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 16 July 2026
Definition of sorcerer

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Cite this Entry

“Medicine man.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/medicine%20man. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on medicine man

Nglish: Translation of medicine man for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about medicine man

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