feat
1 Americannoun
-
feats
plural
-
a noteworthy or extraordinary act or achievement, usually displaying boldness, skill, etc..
Arranging the treaty was a diplomatic feat.
- Synonyms:
- accomplishment
-
Obsolete. a specialized skill; profession.
noun
Synonym Usage
See achievement.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of feat1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English fet, fait, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin factum, noun use of neuter past participle of facere “to do, make”; see fact
Origin of feat2
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Middle French fait “made (to fit),” from Latin factus “done, made,” past participle of facere “to do, make”
Explanation
A feat is an exemplary, even bold achievement, often an act of great courage or skill. Getting your cat to wear a leash was quite a feat. The noun feat developed from the Latin facere, meaning "make do." Today, it gets applied to a deed that's noble or out of the ordinary. Have you ever accomplished amazing feats in your dreams, like flying? If so, I hope you didn't wake up on the roof. Maybe you perform feats of daring in your everyday life, if you're a firefighter or a tightrope walker. If you're afraid of heights, just taking the glass elevator counts as a courageous feat!
Vocabulary lists containing feat
Unit 1: Telling Details
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Why Exploring the Ocean Is Mankind's Next Giant Leap," Vocabulary from the commentary
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Promises to Keep
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
While that sequence was a technical feat for its time, many today view the 93-minute film itself as little more than a historical curiosity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
So-called initial jobless claims, filed by people who lose jobs, totaled less than 200,000 for the third week in a row — a feat last accomplished in 1969.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026
Woods’ mark likely will be tested by another runner, although someone else her age and gender completing the Via Alpina in fewer than 29 days would be a challenging feat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
The feat followed trial and error that initially saw him mollycoddle corals in stress-free environments, but those easily perished in the ocean once transplanted.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
When they left, half the Pickwell kids followed them, begging Mars to perform his legendary feat of stopping traffic.
From "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli
Yet feats of demography are only part of what “Revolver” bequeathed.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
Swarthmore College was recently unable to corroborate a few applications claiming an astonishing number of academic and athletic feats, said admission director Isthier Chaudhury.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
His feats as a coach and administrator earned him a place in Australia's sports hall of fame, where he was inducted in 1989.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
Newall's friend Travis Mooney, from Wythenshawe, has stepped in to help him balance the objects, while also filming his feats for social media.
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026
But he was not irrigating fields, milking cows, or otherwise performing feats of agricultural masochism which might warrant such early rising.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
And look how well my garments sit upon me; Much feater than before; my brother's servants Were then my fellows; now they are my men.
From The Tempest by Shakespeare, William
True: And look how well my garments sit upon me; Much feater than before: my brother’s servants 265 Were then my fellows; now they are my men.
From The Tempest The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [9 vols.] by Glover, John, librarian of Trinity College, Cambridge
As for me, get me my bonnet, Jen—my best Sunday leghorn with the puce chenille in it—I must look my featest going to a great house to pay my respects.
From The Dew of Their Youth by Crockett, S. R. (Samuel Rutherford)
Ay, he's the featest humming-bird, On airiest of wings He poises pendent o'er the poem That blossoms as it sings— God friend him as he dips his beak In such delicious things!
From Riley Songs of Friendship by Riley, James Whitcomb
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
