Synonyms

tempt fate

Idioms

Also, tempt the fates. Take a severe risk, as in It's tempting fate to start up that mountain so late in the day, or Patrice thought driving that old car was tempting the fates; it was sure to break down. This expression uses tempt in the sense of “test in a way that involves risk or danger.” Earlier idioms with a similar meaning were tempt God, dating from the 1300s, and tempt fortune, first recorded in 1603, with fate appearing about 1700.

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:

tempt fate

But why, when lightness is such an empowering virtue, would anyone tempt fate in motorized dreadnoughts like the GT S?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026

The prime minister replied that he didn't want to "tempt fate" and suggested Forster ask him again on Sunday.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

For insurance, I kept buying two for cross-country trips but began to tempt fate on my frequent Southwest shuttles to Sacramento and the Bay Area.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 3, 2026

With California's population near 40 million, the need for housing has prompted builders to tempt fate by erecting homes in fire-prone areas.

From Salon ● Jan. 26, 2025

You don’t tempt fate, you ignore it completely.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023