feat
1 Americannoun
-
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.
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
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"Why Exploring the Ocean Is Mankind's Next Giant Leap," Vocabulary from the commentary
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Promises to Keep
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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.
The latest plight of LeBron James reminds me of a line from a Little Feat song: “Well you know that you’re over the hill when your mind makes a promise that your body can’t fill.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2023
The Chicks always had a more knowingly ironic, perhaps too blithe relationship to their handle, which originated as a saucy twist on the Little Feat song “Dixie Chicken” long before Maines joined them.
From Slate • Jul. 17, 2020
Her band plays old-school honky-tonk country — with a swerve toward Little Feat for “Christmas in the Big House” — as Thompson greets the annual chaos with eye-rolling exasperation and an underlying fondness.
From New York Times • Dec. 5, 2019
Paul Barrere, 71, guitarist and singer for the rock group Little Feat, died Oct.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 1, 2019
“Ladies and gentlemen, Silvers and Reds, welcome to First Friday, the Feat of August.”
From "Red Queen" by Victoria Aveyard
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.
