fate

fate — noun

1. the ultimate result of events for a person or thing, usually a negative one such

1.nounB1
Definition

the ultimate result of events for a person or thing, usually a negative one such as defeat, death, or destruction

Example

The fate of the missing hikers remained unknown for three days.

collocation: fate of [people]

Maja's proposal suffered the same fate as earlier plans — complete rejection.

Common collocations
  • seal one's fate
  • meet one's fate
  • suffer the same fate
  • decide one's fate
  • share a fate
  • fate of [someone/something]
  • leave someone to their fate
  • escape one's fate
Synonyms
  • destiny

    broader and more neutral or positive in tone; fate leans toward negative outcomes

  • doom

    more strongly negative; suggests unavoidable destruction or death

  • lot

    refers to one's general situation in life; less dramatic and more neutral

Antonyms
  • choice

    fate is something that happens to you; a choice is something you actively decide

Grammar Patterns

[possessive] fate

the fate of [someone/something]

Usage Note

Commonly used with possessive determiners (his fate, her fate) or the 'of' structure (the fate of the prisoners). This sense often describes a negative or decisive outcome. For the abstract controlling power, see sense 2.

Common Mistakes

I believe in fate controlling everything.' (using sense 1 when sense 2 is intended)
The committee's vote decided his fate.
sense 1 is about a specific outcome, not an abstract controlling power.

2. an invisible force that determines what happens in a person's life, which accord

2.nounB1
Definition

an invisible force that determines what happens in a person's life, which according to many believers cannot be changed or escaped

Example

Padma believed that fate had brought her and Bao together at the conference.

fate as a personified force that causes events

By a cruel twist of fate, Jin lost his job on the very day he bought a house.

collocation: twist of fate

Common collocations
  • twist of fate
  • by fate
  • fate intervenes
  • fate decides
  • leave to fate
  • tempt fate
  • fate has other plans
Synonyms
  • destiny

    more poetic and often positive in tone; fate can be neutral or negative

  • providence

    religious term for divine guidance or care; implies a benevolent plan

  • karma

    Buddhist and Hindu concept of moral cause-and-effect across lives

Antonyms
  • free will

    the belief that people make their own choices rather than being controlled by fate

Usage Note

Unlike sense 1, this sense does not refer to a specific outcome but to the supposed force that controls all outcomes. Common in fixed expressions: 'by a twist of fate', 'fate had other plans', 'fate decided that...'. When capitalized (Fate), it reads as a personified figure in literature.

Common Mistakes

The fate decided that we should go.' (using countable article 'the' with an uncountable force)
Fate decided that we should go.
as a force, fate is uncountable; do not use 'the fate' when you mean the power itself.
Idioms

seal someone's fate

idiom

to make it certain that something bad will happen to someone, so that there is no way to prevent it

The missing evidence sealed the defendant's fate in the trial.

One wrong answer sealed her fate in the final round of the competition.

tempt fate

idiom

to take a risk or act too confidently, in a way that might cause bad luck or ruin your good fortune

Driving without insurance is tempting fate.

Asher knew that celebrating early would be tempting fate.

a fate worse than death

idiom

an extremely bad experience or situation that someone is forced to accept, compared to dying

For a painter, losing your eyesight would be a fate worse than death.

The teenagers treated the school camping trip as a fate worse than death.

tempt fate/providence

idiom

To take a risky action that might cause your good luck to end.

Maya decided not to tempt fate by driving home in the storm.

Would it be tempting fate to book a flight during the holiday rush?

fate — verb

Word family

  • fateful
    adjectiveB2
  • fated
    adjectiveB2
  • fatal
    adjectiveB2
  • fatalism
    nounC1
  • fatalistic
    adjectiveC1
  • fatality
    nounB2
  • fatally
    adverbB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Fate (noun/1), destiny, doom, and fortune all relate to what happens to someone, but they differ in tone and scope. Fate emphasises the final outcome, often negative: 'The team's fate hung on the last kick.' Destiny suggests a grand, meaningful purpose, usually positive: 'She believed it was her destiny to lead her country.' Doom is always negative and carries a strong sense of unavoidable destruction: 'The old city faced its doom as the volcano erupted.' Fortune relates to luck or chance, which can be good or bad: 'He had the good fortune to survive the crash.' In short: fate = a specific outcome (often bad); destiny = a meaningful life path; doom = unavoidable disaster; fortune = luck or chance.

fate ↗destiny ↗doom ↗fortune ↗

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Fate comes from the Latin word 'fatum', meaning 'that which has been spoken (by the gods)' — related to the verb 'fari' (to speak). In Roman mythology, the Parcae (also called the Fata) were three goddesses who spoke each person's destiny at birth. The word travelled into English through Old French 'fate' in the 1300s, and by the 1400s it was being used to describe both a person's destined lot in life and the power that controls it.