Standard Lemma guide

fete

noun · verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • fāt
  • fet
  • /feɪt/
  • /fɛt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • homophone: fate
  • rhymes with -eɪt
  • rhymes with -ɛt
  • CMU ARPABET: F EY1 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A festival open to the public, the proceeds from which are often given to charity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A feast, celebration or carnival.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To celebrate (a person).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: passive, transitive, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: celebrate

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

an organized series of acts and performances (usually in one place)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a drama festival

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: festival

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: celebration, festivity

Narrower terms: carnival, Dionysia, Bacchanalia, eisteddfod, film festival, jazz festival, Kwanzaa, Kwanza, Oktoberfest, Saturnalia, sheepshearing

5

noun

Meaning 5

an elaborate party (often outdoors)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: feast, fiesta

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: party

Narrower terms: luau, potlatch

6

verb

Meaning 6

have a celebration

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • They were feting the patriarch of the family
  • After the exam, the students were celebrating

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: celebrate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: meet, get together

Narrower terms: jubilate, revel, racket, make whoopie, make merry, make happy, whoop it up, jollify, wassail, party, receive

History

Etymology

* The noun derives from French fête. Doublet of feast, fiesta, and fest. * The verb derives from French fêter.

Across languages

Translations

18 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: (dobročinná) slavnost — A festival open to the public, the proceeds from which are often given to charity.
  • French: kermesse — A festival open to the public, the proceeds from which are often given to charity.
  • Polish: festyn — A festival open to the public, the proceeds from which are often given to charity.
  • Polish: kiermasz — A festival open to the public, the proceeds from which are often given to charity.
  • Portuguese: quermesse — A festival open to the public, the proceeds from which are often given to charity.
  • Spanish: feria — A festival open to the public, the proceeds from which are often given to charity.
  • Spanish: fiesta — A festival open to the public, the proceeds from which are often given to charity.
  • Czech: oslavovat — to celebrate or make much of a person
  • Dutch: fêteren — to celebrate or make much of a person
  • Dutch: vieren — to celebrate or make much of a person
  • French: fêter — to celebrate or make much of a person
  • German: feiern — to celebrate or make much of a person
  • German: ehren — to celebrate or make much of a person
  • German: verehren — to celebrate or make much of a person
  • Māori: whakamiramira — to celebrate or make much of a person
  • Polish: fetować — to celebrate or make much of a person
  • Polish: honorować — to celebrate or make much of a person
  • Russian: чествовать (čestvovatʹ) — to celebrate or make much of a person