kismet

[ kiz-met, kis- ]

See synonyms for kismet on Thesaurus.com

noun

fate; destiny: It must have been kismet that brought the bride and groom together a year ago.
(in Islam) the arbitrary will of Allah; divinely ordained fate: complete submission to kismet.

Origin of kismet

First recorded in 1840–50; from Turkish, from Persian qismat, from Arabic qisma, qismat- “division, portion, lot, fate,” akin to qasama “(he) divided,” from the (West) Semitic root qsm “to divide, allot”

Sometimes kis·mat [kiz-muht, kis-]. /ˈkɪz mət, ˈkɪs-/.

Words Nearby kismet

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

How to use kismet in a sentence

It was this complete convergence of events and really kismet, what happened to Marge Gunderson.
Frances McDormand on 'Olive Kitteridge,' Dropping LSD, and Her Beef With FX's 'Fargo' | Marlow Stern | September 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Being cast in a role like Llewyn was kismet for Isaac, providing an outlet for all of his passions.
‘Inside Llewyn Davis’ Star Oscar Isaac Is About to Be a Very Big Deal | Kevin Fallon | December 5, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
In typical indie film world kismet, the movie came from a dinner-party seating fluke.
Marina Abramović’s Silent Revolution in Performance Art | Chris Lee | January 23, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
The bad luck of decades past has been replaced by a long-shot fairy tale of publishing kismet.
The Last Vietnam War Epic | John Douglas Marshall | April 8, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
Miss Cox's luck again failed her in kismet, a two-and-a-half rater built by Payne.
The Sportswoman's Library, v. 2 | Various

My reply was 'kismet,' which means that it was a sin to think of the future.
Travels in Central Asia | Arminius Vmbry
My master had many English attributes, but in the shrug, the pantomime of kismet, he was exclusively French.
The Belovd Vagabond | William J. Locke
No idle chance brought us together to-day, Don; it was that kismet to which the Arab ascribes every act of life.
The Orchard of Tears | Sax Rohmer
If she gets run down by some bustling ship or another, it is kismet, and not to be helped.
The Log of a Sea-Waif | Frank T. Bullen

British Dictionary definitions for kismet

kismet

/ (ˈkɪzmɛt, ˈkɪs-) /

noun

Islam the will of Allah
fate or destiny

Origin of kismet

C19: from Turkish, from Persian qismat, from Arabic qasama he divided

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

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