: the will or principle or determining cause by which things in general are believed to come to be as they are or events to happen as they do : destiny
… fate sometimes deals a straight flush … he had no idea that he would become the right man in the right place at the right time … June Goodfield
2
a
: an inevitable and often adverse outcome, condition, or end
fate implies an inevitable and usually an adverse outcome.
the fate of the submarine is unknown
destiny implies something foreordained and often suggests a great or noble course or end.
the country's destiny to be a model of liberty to the world
lot and portion imply a distribution by fate or destiny, lot suggesting blind chance
it was her lot to die childless
, portion implying the apportioning of good and evil.
remorse was his daily portion
doom distinctly implies a grim or calamitous fate.
if the rebellion fails, his doom is certain
Example Sentences
Noun… the fate of our species is bound up with those of countless others, with which we share a habitat that we cannot long dominate … John Gray, Times Literary Supplement, 11 Sept. 1992So what went wrong? I ask Syd again, glancing ahead to the inevitable end. What quirk of fate, this time round, Syd, checked the great man's stride? John le Carré, A Perfect Spy, 1986Often there is a specified character on whom a work hinges and whose fate we follow, a Raskolnikov or a Hamlet … Robert Penn Warren, Democracy and Poetry, 1975The money goes down one-two-three on the table, fives and tens and twenties, and the wheel begins to spin. Round and round she goes, where she stops nobody knows. It's up to fate. Kismet, as they say. Mordecai Richler, The Apprenticeship Of Duddy Kravitz, 1959 They thought they would never see each other again, but fate brought them back together. a surprising turn of fate One company went bankrupt, and a similar fate befell the other. Her fate was sealed by the marriage arrangement made in her youth. VerbGiven what was going on when the magazine was started, Utne Reader seems fated to have happened—it was simply an idea that fit the times. Eric Utne, Utne Reader, March/April 1994It was during this interregnum between the acquisition of regional power and the actual use of it that Henderson was fated to enter the picture. Robert D. Kaplan, The Arabists, 1993Who are my viewing companions at this hour? Dazed and confused, we are isolated in sunken couches, empty beds and cheap hotel rooms across this crumbling nation, one through MTV but fated never to meet. Hugh Gallagher, Rolling Stone, 29 Apr. 1993 the warning that the lack of an advanced education will fate a person to a lifetime of below-average earnings See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
But as these discussions entered their final stages, Schumer and Manchin became the last men standing; the fate of the bill in their hands alone. Grace Segers, The New Republic, 13 Sep. 2022 In the spring of 2020, meatpacking plants were shutting down as workers contracted the virus, and Yuma’s agricultural sector wanted to prevent a similar fate. Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 13 Sep. 2022 The series could determine the playoff fate for both teams. Paul Hoynes, cleveland, 12 Sep. 2022 Then in January, Cardenas addressed the bargain’s fate again. Austin Fuller, Orlando Sentinel, 12 Sep. 2022 The Arena’s fate is complicated because of several factors, some of which are unique to Mobile including Mardi Gras.al, 12 Sep. 2022 Because of that move, the fate of forty thousand current lawsuits and the possibility of future claims by cancer victims or their survivors now rests with a single bankruptcy judge in the company’s home state, New Jersey. Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 12 Sep. 2022 The series opens on his corpse, so JP’s ultimate fate is never in question.Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2022 Keith Nelson is a writer by fate and journalist by passion, who has connected dots to form the bigger picture for Men’s Health, Vibe Magazine, LEVEL MAG, REVOLT TV, Complex, Grammys.com, Red Bull, Okayplayer, and Mic, to name a few. Keith Nelson, Men's Health, 8 Sep. 2022
Verb
At the very least, everyone seems to make her fate their problem. K. Austin Collins, Rolling Stone, 16 July 2022 Bohjalian tracks his players as keenly as a leopard does its prey, matching psychology to fate with an almost pathological precision. Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2022 The effort was too much and the young animal succumbed to fate, sliding down the snow into the abyss. Steve Meyer, Anchorage Daily News, 6 Mar. 2022 Donald Trump cut a deal with the Taliban that left the future of the Afghan government, Afghan women, and al‑Qaeda to fate. George Packer, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2022 Well, that’s a little bit up to them, a little bit up to fate. Hayden Grove, cleveland, 7 Sep. 2021 Kyland volunteers, the Aces leave their nomination to fate, and Christian is down to compete knowing that Frenchie is probably targeting him. Kyle Fowle, EW.com, 12 July 2021 To be a baker, Lidgus explains, is to be half control freak, half submissive to fate; to embrace a life of eternal adjustments.New York Times, 26 Mar. 2021 Trump, in a statement from Walter Reed hospital on Saturday, chalked up his diagnosis to fate and his desire to be seen leading the country. Josh Wingrove, Bloomberg.com, 4 Oct. 2020 See More
Word History
Etymology
Noun and Verb
Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin fatum, literally, what has been spoken, from neuter of fatus, past participle of fari to speak — more at ban entry 1
1sb/sth's future命運ADJECTIVE | VERB + FATE | FATE + VERB | PHRASESADJECTIVE➤awful, grim, horrible, terrible糟糕的/無情的/令人恐懼的/可怕的命運▸➤cruel, unhappy殘酷的/不幸的命運◇What an unfortunate fate the gods had condemned her to.眾神加諸她的是多麼不幸的命運啊。➤sad, tragic悲慘的命運➤better, worse較好的/較糟的命運◇Jackson deserves a better fate than this.傑克遜的命運應該比這樣好。◇They decided to kill themselves rather than suffer a worse fate at the hands of their enemy.他們決定寧願自殺也不願落在敵人的手裏,那樣命運會更慘。➤common, usual共同的/常見的命運➤likely很可能的命運◇Under-representation is the likely fate of small parties.得不到足夠的代表很可能是小黨派的命運。➤eventual, final, ultimate最終的命運;最後的命運➤inevitable無法避免的命運◇the almost inevitable fate awaiting gorillas and tigers等待大猩猩和老虎的幾乎無法避免的命運➤uncertain, unknown變幻莫測的/不可知的命運◇She faces an uncertain fate.她面臨着一個不確切的命運。◇The ultimate fate of the captured troops is unknown.沒有人知道被俘部隊的最終命運。➤the same, similar同樣的/相似的命運◇She broke her ankle before the big game, then suffered the same fate a month later.大賽之前她弄傷了腳踝,一個月後她又遇到了同樣的不幸。➤different不同的命運◇His brother met an altogether different fate.他哥哥的命運截然不同。➤economic, political經濟/政治命運◇They're worried about their political fate.他們擔心自己的政治結局。VERB + FATE➤face面對命運◇He faces a grim fate if he is sent back to his own country.如果他被遣送回國,他的命運將會很悲慘。➤meet, suffer, undergo遇到/遭受/經受⋯命運➤share有相同的命運◇He had no desire to share the fate of his executed comrades.他不想遭受與他那些被處決的同志同樣的命運。➤avoid, be spared, escape躲避命運;免遭⋯命運;逃避⋯命運◇Fortunately, Robert was spared this cruel fate.羅伯特有幸免遭這一殘酷結局。◇She managed to escape the fate of the other rebels.她設法逃脫了其他造反者所受的懲罰。➤deserve應該得到⋯命運◇What had he done to deserve such a terrible fate?他到底做了什麼,竟然遭受這樣悲慘的命運?➤accept, be resigned to接受命運;聽天由命◇The condemned men were resigned to their fate.被判刑的人只好接受自己的命運。➤bemoan, curse, lament悲歎/詛咒/哀歎命運◇Instead of just bemoaning your fate, why not do something to change it?與其悲歎自己的命運,何不行動起來去改變它呢?➤contemplate, ponder思忖/思考命運➤control掌控命運◇She has taken steps to control her own fate.她已採取措施以掌控自己的命運。➤choose選擇命運◇the rights of a woman to choose the fate of her body女性選擇自己身體命運的權利➤seal決定命運◇He had signed his confession and sealed his own fate.他在自己的供狀上簽了字,也就決定了自己的命運。➤decide, determine決定命運◇An extraordinary general meeting to decide the company's fate will be held on Thursday.決定公司命運的特別大會將在星期四舉行。➤affect, alter, change, influence影響命運;改變命運◇Will it change the fate of the company?這會改變公司的命運嗎?➤abandon sb/sth to, leave sb/sth to使⋯聽天由命;聽任⋯由命運擺佈◇The generals abandoned the men to their fate.將軍們不再管那些士兵,讓他們生死由命。➤rescue sb/sth from, save sb/sth from挽救⋯於命運➤discover, hear, hear of, know, know of, learn, learn of發現/聽到/聽說/知曉/知道/得知/間接得知命運◇He will learn his fate in court tomorrow.明天到了法庭他就會知道自己的命運。➤predict預測命運◇the prophet who predicts fate and can see the future能預測命運、預知將來的預言家➤await等待命運◇The convicts awaited their fate in prison.已決犯在獄中等待着自己的命運。FATE + VERB➤await sb/sth, be in store for sb/sth, lie in store for sb/sth命運等待着⋯;命運即將降臨到⋯◇They were warned of the dreadful fate that awaited them if ever they returned to their homes.他們受到警告:如果回家就會面臨可怕的命運。➤befall sb/sth命運降臨到⋯◇Worst of all was the fate that befell the captured rebel general.那個被俘的叛軍將領命運最為悲慘。➤be in the balance, hang in the balance命運未卜◇The fate of the African wild dog hangs in the balance (= is uncertain).非洲野狗的命運還是個未知數。➤be tied to sth命運與⋯連在一起◇Our fate is tied to yours.我們的命運和你們的緊密相連。➤depend on sth命運取決於⋯◇This team's fate depends on how it performs today.該隊的命運取決於它今天在比賽中的表現。PHRASES➤leave your fate in sb's hands, place your fate in sb's hands, put your fate in sb's hands讓某人決定自己的命運➤have sb/sth's fate in your hands, hold sb/sth's fate in your hands將⋯的命運掌握在你手中◇The jury held the fate of the accused in their hands.陪審團掌握着被告的命運。➤a fate worse than death (oftenhumorous) 比死還糟的命運◇Getting married seemed a fate worse than death.結婚似乎比死還要難受。➤sb's fate rests in sb's hands⋯的命運掌握在⋯的手中◇His fate rests in the hands of the judges.他的命運掌握在法官們的手中。fate
noun²
2power controlling everything控制一切的力量ADJECTIVE | VERB + FATE | FATE + VERB | PHRASESADJECTIVE➤cruel殘酷的定數◇He believed that the universe was controlled by the whims of a cruel fate.他認為宇宙由無常的天命控制着。➤kind不錯的命運◇Fate was kind to me.命運待我不薄。VERB + FATE➤believe in相信命運◇Such coincidences are almost enough to make one believe in fate.這樣的巧合幾乎足以讓人相信命運。➤tempt冒險◇It would be tempting fate to say that we will definitely win the game.要說我們肯定會贏得這場比賽,還真有點兒冒險。➤leave sth to把⋯交由命運安排◇I have a great deal of trust and I leave everything to fate.我很有信心,一切聽天由命吧。FATE + VERB➤decide sth, decree sth命運決定⋯/注定⋯◇Fate decreed that she would never reach America.她命中注定到不了美國。➤intervene命運介入◇He secretly hoped that fate would intervene and save him having to meet her.他暗自希望老天幫忙,別讓他碰見她。➤strike命運打擊◇Only weeks later fate struck again, leaving her unable to compete.僅僅幾週後,她再次遭受命運打擊,不能參加比賽。➤deal a/its hand, deal sb a hand命運對待某人◇Anne accepted the cruel hand that fate had dealt her.安妮接受了殘酷的命運。➤take a hand命運影響◇Fate took a hand in (= influenced) the outcome of the championship.冠軍爭奪賽的最終結果繫天命所歸。➤have in store for sb/sth, hold in store for sb/sth命運等待着⋯◇Little did she know what fate had in store for her.她幾乎不知道等待她的命運是什麼。➤conspire against sb命運對某人不利◇For some reason fate conspired against them and everything they did was problematic.不知為什麼,他們時運不濟,做什麼事都困難重重。➤smile on sb, smile upon sb命運對某人微笑◇Fate was not smiling upon her today.她今天運氣不好。PHRASES➤an accident of fate, a turn of fate, a twist of fate命中注定的事◇It seemed a cruel twist of fate that the composer should have died so young.這位作曲家英年早逝似乎是殘酷的宿命。➤let fate take its course聽天由命◇He was content standing aside, letting fate take its course.他甘願置身事外,一切聽天由命。➤the hand of fate命運之手◇The new job had come at just the right time for him. Was it the hand of fate?這份新工作對他來說來得正是時候,是命運的安排嗎?