fate

[ feyt ]

/ feɪt /

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See synonyms for: fate / fated / fating on Thesaurus.com

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR fate

1 karma, kismet; chance, luck.

7 foreordain, preordain.

See synonyms for fate on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of fate

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, Middle French, from Latin fātum “what has been spoken, utterance, decree of fate, destiny,” originally neuter of fātus, past participle of fārī “to speak”

synonym study for fate

1. 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.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH fate

fate , fete

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use fate in a sentence

We were lucky that way, able to work from home and avoiding the fate of thousands of Americans who lost their livelihoods during the pandemic.
The pandemic isn’t ending anytime soon. And our bodies are feeling the stress.|Petula Dvorak|November 19, 2020|Washington Post
As fate would have it, and luck, and hard work, all together, and probably in that order, I’ve had these remarkable professional opportunities, and gotten to do things I never even dreamt that I could.
‘What we’ve seen since covid has been a precipitous increase in need,’ says Feeding America CEO|KK Ottesen|November 10, 2020|Washington Post
As a result, the fate of the ACA is more uncertain than it seemed just a few months ago.
What Happens If the Supreme Court Overturns Obamacare?|Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux (Amelia.Thomson-DeVeaux@abc.com)|November 10, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Lawmakers had resolved the impasse by putting off action until the fate of the constitutional amendment could be decided on Election Day.
Va. lawmakers pass redistricting commission rules, end extraordinary session|Gregory S. Schneider, Laura Vozzella|November 9, 2020|Washington Post

Dan and I talk cookie polls, Prop 22, and the uncertain fate of SF’s Japantown with Luke Tsai and LA’s downtown restaurant scene with Mona Holmes.
The Delivery Apps Prevailed|Amanda Kludt|November 9, 2020|Eater
This was a wolf on the defensive, fating a pack which had turned upon his leadership.
Destiny|Charles Neville Buck

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

Other 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

OTHER WORDS FOR fate

Origin of fate

synonym study for fate

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH fate

Words related to fate

How to use fate in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fate

Word Origin for fate

Other Idioms and Phrases with fate