feat

Word family

• featly
  adverb

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe something positive that someone has done, but they differ in emphasis. 'Achievement' is the broadest, neutral term for anything attained through effort ('graduating was a great achievement'). 'Accomplishment' adds a sense of completion and skill ('learning Mandarin was a real accomplishment'). 'Feat' focuses specifically on the difficulty, skill, or courage required — it is never used for routine success ('the rescue was an astonishing feat of bravery'). 'Exploit' has a heroic or adventurous flavour, often in military, sporting, or exploration contexts ('his exploits as a mountaineer became legendary'). 'Triumph' foregrounds victory over obstacles ('the championship win was a personal triumph after years of injury'). Choose 'exploit' for stories of daring, 'feat' for difficulty, 'triumph' for overcoming odds, and 'achievement' or 'accomplishment' for general success.

Common collocations

Etymology

'Feat' entered English from Anglo-French 'fet' (deed, act), which traces back to Latin 'factum' meaning 'something done'. The noun sense — a remarkable or difficult deed — developed in the 14th century. The adjective sense (now archaic) split off around the same time, originally meaning 'well-made' or 'skillfully crafted', from the idea of something done neatly or properly. The spelling 'feat' was standardised in the 16th century, replacing earlier forms like 'fete' and 'faite'.