Fate is a power that some people believe controls and decides everything that happens, in a way that cannot be prevented or changed. You can also refer to the fates.
I see no use quarrelling with fate.
...the fickleness of fate.
It was just one of those times when you wonder whether the fates conspire againstyou.
Synonyms: destiny, chance, fortune, luck More Synonyms of fate
2. countable noun [oft with poss]
A person's or thing's fate is what happens to them.
The Russian Parliament will hold a special session later this month to decide hisfate.
He seems for a moment to be again holding the fate of the country in his hands. [+ of]
The Casino, where she had often danced, had suffered a similar fate.
...the terrible fate awaiting humanity.
3.
See to seal someone's fate
4. to tempt fate
More Synonyms of fate
fate in British English
(feɪt)
noun
1.
the ultimate agency that predetermines the course of events
2.
the inevitable fortune that befalls a person or thing; destiny
3.
the end or final result
4.
a calamitous or unfavourable outcome or result; death, destruction, or downfall
verb
5. (tr; usually passive)
to predetermine; doom
he was fated to lose the game
Word origin
C14: from Latin fātum oracular utterance, from fārī to speak
fate in American English
(feɪt)
noun
1.
the power or agency supposed to determine the outcome of events before they occur; destiny
2.
a.
something inevitable, supposedly determined by this power
b.
what happens or has happened to a person or entity; lot; fortune
3.
final outcome
4.
death; destruction; doom
5. [F-]
any of the three Fates
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈfated or ˈfating
6.
to destine
now usually in the passive
SYNONYMY NOTE: fate refers to the inevitability of a course of events as supposedly predetermined bya god or other agency beyond human control; , destiny also refers to an inevitable succession of events as determined supernaturally orby necessity, but often implies a favorable outcome [it was her destiny to become famous]; UNRESOLVED CROSS REF, lot refer to what is supposedly distributed in the determining of fate, but , UNRESOLVED CROSS REF implies an equitable apportionment and , lot implies a random assignment; , doom1 always connotes an unfavorable or disastrous fate
Word origin
ME < L fatum, prophetic declaration, oracle < neut. pp. of fari, to speak: see fame
More idioms containing
fate
tempt fate
seal someone's fate
Examples of 'fate' in a sentence
fate
Who can tell the validity of this proposition -- yet there are people whose conviction is strong enough to steer fate.
Salley Vickers INSTANCES OF THE NUMBER 3 (2001)
His fate was in the hands of the undercover police officers in the area.
Gregg Andrew Hurwitz DO NO HARM (2001)
Quotations
Fate keeps on happeningAnita LoosGentlemen Prefer Blondes
Fate is not an eagle, it creeps like a ratElizabeth BowenThe House in Paris
... to deny fate is arrogance, to declare that we are the sole shapers of our existence is madnessOriana FallaciA Man
We may become the makers of our fate when we have ceased to pose as its prophetsKarl PopperThe Open Society and its Enemies
Fate and character are the same conceptNovalisHeinrich von Ofterdingen
Man proposes, God disposes
What must be, must be (Italian, Che sera, sera)
In other languages
fate
British English: fate /feɪt/ NOUN
Fate is a power that some people believe controls everything that happens.
Fate has brought them together.
American English: fate
Arabic: قَدَر
Brazilian Portuguese: destino
Chinese: 命运
Croatian: sudbina
Czech: osud
Danish: skæbne
Dutch: noodlot
European Spanish: destino
Finnish: kohtalo
French: destin
German: Schicksal
Greek: μοίρα
Italian: fato
Japanese: 運命
Korean: 운명
Norwegian: skjebne
Polish: los
European Portuguese: destino
Romanian: soartă
Russian: судьба
Latin American Spanish: destino
Swedish: öde
Thai: โชคชะตา
Turkish: kader
Ukrainian: доля
Vietnamese: số phận
All related terms of 'fate'
tempt fate
to take unnecessary risks when doing something, or act in a way that may bring you bad luck
twist of fate
If something happens by a twist of fate , it happens by chance , and it is strange , interesting, or unfortunate in some way.
seal someone's fate
to make it certain that someone will fail or that something unpleasant will happen to them
to seal someone's fate seal sth's fate
If something seals a person's or thing's fate , it makes it certain that they will fail or that something unpleasant will happen to them.
to tempt fate tempt providence
If someone says that something they say or do is tempting fate or is tempting providence , they mean they are worried that it may cause the good luck they have had so far to end.
Chinese translation of 'fate'
fate
(feɪt)
n
(u) (= destiny) 天意 (tiānyì)
(c)[of person, company, plan]命运(運) (mìngyùn)
1 (noun)
Definition
the ultimate force that supposedly predetermines the course of events
I see no use quarrelling with fate.
Synonyms
destiny
Is it Destiny or accident that brings people together?
chance
I met him quite by chance.
fortune
He is certainly being smiled on by fortune.
luck
The goal owed more to luck than good planning.
the stars
weird (archaic)
providence
I regard his death as an act of providence.
nemesis
kismet
predestination
Her belief in predestination absolved her from personal responsibility.
divine will
2 (noun)
Definition
the inevitable fortune that happens to a person or thing
You cannot choose your fate.
Synonyms
fortune
She kept up with the fortunes of the family.
destiny
We are masters of our own destiny.
lot
He's always accepted his lot in life.
portion
cup
horoscope
3 (noun)
What will be the fate of the elections?
Synonyms
outcome
It's too early to predict the outcome of the race.
future
destiny
end
The end justifies the means.
issue
upshot
So the upshot is we're going for lunch on Friday.
4 (noun)
Definition
death or downfall
This new proposal seems doomed to the same fate.
Synonyms
downfall
His lack of experience led to his downfall.
end
Soon after we spoke to him, he met a violent end.
death
the death of everything he had ever hoped for
ruin
It is the ruin of society.
destruction
Our objective was the destruction of the enemy forces.
doom
his warnings of impending doom
demise
the demise of the reform movement
Quotations
Fate keeps on happening [Anita Loos – Gentlemen Prefer Blondes]Fate is not an eagle, it creeps like a rat [Elizabeth Bowen – The House in Paris]... to deny fate is arrogance, to declare that we are the sole shapers of our existence is madness [Oriana Fallaci – A Man]We may become the makers of our fate when we have ceased to pose as its prophets [Karl Popper – The Open Society and its Enemies]Fate and character are the same concept [Novalis – Heinrich von Ofterdingen]
proverbs
Man proposes, God disposesWhat must be, must be (Italian, Che sera, sera)
Additional synonyms
in the sense of chance
Definition
the unknown and unpredictable element that causes something to happen in one way rather than another
I met him quite by chance.
Synonyms
accident,
fortune,
luck,
fate,
casualty,
destiny,
coincidence,
misfortune,
providence,
fortuity
in the sense of death
Definition
ending or destruction
the death of everything he had ever hoped for
Synonyms
destruction,
ending,
finish,
ruin,
wiping out,
undoing,
extinction,
elimination,
downfall,
extermination,
annihilation,
obliteration,
ruination
in the sense of demise
Definition
the eventual failure of something originally successful