kismet
/ˈkɪzmɛt
/ /ˈkɪzmɪt/ /ˈkɪsmɛt/noun [mass noun]
Destiny; fate: what chance did I stand against kismet?...
- And so Basrans toil in the blazing heat of the Arabian Gulf, waiting for fate, kismet, providence, grace - or perhaps the more earthly mechanism of globalization - to inspire them to reclaim their former greatness.
- Call it kismet, fate, whatever, but things happen for a reason.
- The Hindu and Buddhist idea of karma and the Muslim idea of kismet, or fate condemn the poor and the disabled to their suffering… It's the will of Allah.
Synonyms
fate, destiny, fortune, providence, the stars, God's will, what is written in the stars, one's doom, one's portion, one's lot, one's lot in life, karma, predestination, preordination, predetermination, what is to come, the writing on the wall;
luck, chance
archaic one's dole
rare predestiny
Origin
Early 19th century: from Turkish, from Arabic qisma 'division, portion, lot', from qasama 'to divide'.