fete
feyt
/feɪt/
A large public celebration or festival; or, to honor and celebrate someone lavishly.
As a verb, to fete someone means to throw a massive party or public ceremony in their honor. It implies high celebration and public joy.
The story behind the word. Fete comes from the French 'fête', which traces back to the Latin 'festa', meaning holidays or feasts (the source of our word 'feast'). In medieval Europe, a fete was a holy day that was celebrated with communal eating, dancing, and games.
Word relationships
- gala: A gala is specifically a formal social event with performance or dinner, while a fete can be an outdoor festival or the act of honoring someone.
- lionize: To lionize is to treat someone as a celebrity in social circles, whereas to fete is to physically throw a celebration or party for them.
- ignore: To pay no attention to someone or something.
- condemn: To express complete disapproval of someone publicly.
Commonly confused with
- fate: Fate is destiny or unavoidable fortune; fete is a grand celebration.
Word family
- feted (adjective): Lavishly celebrated or honored.
Collocations
- fete the champions
- annual fete
- lavishly feted
- summer fete
Example sentences
- "The city planned to fete the returning astronauts with a massive ticker-tape parade down Broadway." Celebrating a returning hero
- "The annual church fete featured game booths, local crafts, and a highly competitive baking contest." A community festival
Memory hook
It is spelled almost like 'fete' (feet)—imagine dancing with your 'feet' at a massive festival. A feast that gets you on your feet.
When not to use
Do not use fete for a small, casual dinner party; it implies a grand, formal, or highly public celebration.
Fun facts
- In British English, a 'fete' is specifically a traditional outdoor community festival, usually held on a grassy village green to raise money for local charities.
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