fate

[ feyt ]

/ feɪt /

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noun

something that unavoidably befalls a person; fortune; lot: It is always his fate to be left behind.

the universal principle or ultimate agency by which the order of things is presumably prescribed; the decreed cause of events; time: Fate decreed that they would never meet again.

that which is inevitably predetermined; destiny: Death is our ineluctable fate.

a prophetic declaration of what must be: The oracle pronounced their fate.

death, destruction, or ruin.

the Fates, Classical Mythology. the three goddesses of destiny, known to the Greeks as the Moerae and to the Romans as the Parcae.

verb (used with object), fat·ed, fat·ing.

to predetermine, as by the decree of fate; destine (used in the passive): a person who was fated to be the savior of the country.

Nearby words

Origin of fate

1325–75; Middle English < Latin fātum utterance, decree of fate, destiny, orig. neuter of fātus, past participle of fārī to speak

SYNONYMS FOR fate

1. karma, kismet; chance, luck. Fate, destiny, doom refer to the idea of a fortune, usually adverse, that is predetermined and inescapable. The three words are frequently interchangeable. Fate stresses the irrationality and impersonal character of events: It was Napoleon's fate to be exiled. The word is often lightly used, however: It was my fate to meet her that very afternoon. Destiny emphasizes the idea of an unalterable course of events, and is often used of a propitious fortune: It was his destiny to save his nation. Doom especially applies to the final ending, always unhappy or terrible, brought about by destiny or fate: He met his doom bravely. 7. foreordain, preordain.

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Can be confusedfate fete (see synonym study at the current entry)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for fate

Sybil is dead, as is Matthew; Gregson is missing with dark hints about his fate.
What Downton’s Fashion Really Means|Katie Baker|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
If we want to prevent others from your fate, we need to stop being so passive on these issues.
Dear Leelah, We Will Fight On For You: A Letter to a Dead Trans Teen|Parker Molloy|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The fate of AirAsia Flight 8501 and the 162 souls on board is a tragedy, but it will not remain a mystery for much longer.
Who Will Get AsiaAir 8501’s Black Boxes?|Clive Irving|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Yet, much like the fate that fell the first season, ratings just plain weren't good.
‘The Comeback’ Finale: Give Lisa Kudrow All of the Awards|Kevin Fallon|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

So how concerned should people be about the fate of the VSV vaccine?
Uh Oh: Ebola Vaccine Trials Stop|Leigh Cowart|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the same place, and at the same time, he received his first authentic news of the fate of the Adventuress.
The Destroying Angel|Louis Joseph Vance
It goes without saying that the duke soon heard of the shepherd, for he had been anxiously awaiting the fate of the two governors.
Czechoslovak Fairy Tales|Parker Fillmore
The chiefs fought fiercely, like men who know that their fate is sealed, and are determined to sell their lives dearly.
Mark Seaworth|William H.G. Kingston
He was too desperate to curse his fate—he could only long for food.
The Ape, the Idiot & Other People|W. C. Morrow
She had almost decided to run away—she could not face Myra's fate.
Tess of the Storm Country|Grace Miller White

British Dictionary definitions for fate

fate

/ (feɪt) /

noun

the ultimate agency that predetermines the course of events

the inevitable fortune that befalls a person or thing; destiny

the end or final result

a calamitous or unfavourable outcome or result; death, destruction, or downfall

verb

(tr; usually passive) to predetermine; doomhe was fated to lose the game

Word Origin for fate

C14: from Latin fātum oracular utterance, from fārī to speak

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for fate

fate

late 14c., from Latin fata, neuter plural of fatum "prophetic declaration, oracle, prediction," thus "that which is ordained, destiny, fate," literally "thing spoken (by the gods)," from neuter past participle of fari "to speak," from PIE *bha- (2) "speak" (see fame (n.)).

The Latin sense evolution is from "sentence of the Gods" (Greek theosphaton) to "lot, portion" (Greek moira, personified as a goddess in Homer), also "one of the three goddesses (Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos) who determined the course of a human life." The native word was wyrd (see weird).

fate

"to preordain as if by fate; to be destined by fate," c.1600, from fate (n.). Related: Fated; fating. Earlier it meant "to destroy" (c.1400).

Idioms and Phrases with fate

fate

In addition to the idioms beginning with fate

fate worse than death, a

also see:

seal one's fate
tempt fate

fate

noun

verb (used with object), fat·ed, fat·ing.

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fate

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