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Definitions

fete

[feyt, fet] / feɪt, fɛt /
NOUN
celebration, party
Synonyms
STRONG
ball banquet bazaar do fair festival fiesta gala
VERB
throw a party for someone
Synonyms
STRONG
celebrate entertain feast festival holiday honor lionize treat
WEAK
hold reception for make much of roll out the red carpet wine and dine
Antonyms
STRONG
disregard forget ignore neglect

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for fete?
A fete is a celebration, a festival, or a day of celebration. As a verb, it can mean to honor someone with such a celebration—to celebrate someone with a big party in their honor. In these contexts, the word implies that the celebration is big and lavish, like a fancy banquet, gala, feast, or ball. As a verb, it can also mean to generally celebrate someone—not with a party, but with a lot of praise or positive media coverage, for example.
Where does fete come from?
Fete comes from the French word feste, meaning “feast."
How do you use fete in a sentence?
Fete is perhaps most commonly used as a verb. Feting someone sometimes involves an actual party, but often it simply involves celebration and praise. Here are some examples of fete in a sentence:
  • Bill’s retiring and we’re throwing a big fete in his honor.
  • Hundreds gathered to fete the couple on their wedding day.
  • The director, once feted by critics, is no longer a media darling.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

While many trek in from across the country or from the diaspora in Europe and the United States, some hotel owners also report growing numbers of foreign tourists as the annual fete grows.

From Barron's • Dec. 22, 2025

The White House often uses a tent on the South Lawn to fete foreign leaders and a larger guest list for a state dinner.

From BBC • Oct. 21, 2025

To fete the supersized 250th anniversary, a committee of local burghers has been meeting every few weeks for four years, preparing for as many as 100,000 people to show up this weekend.

From Slate • Apr. 19, 2025

Last year, Chanel flew influencers to Panama to fete a new beauty line; in 2017, Smashbox feted new products in Fiji.

From New York Times • Jan. 7, 2024

The host raked in money from nonmembers as well, who paid cash for liquor and stockvel plates during the fete.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.