Make Your Point: KISMET

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pronounce KISMET:

KIZZ met

connect this word to others:

The lovely word kismet comes from Arabic, as do the words below. Can you recall them?

1. From an Arabic word for "workshop," an ar____l is a collection of useful or effective things, skills, or strategies.

2. From Arabic words for "the way over the head," the z___th of something is the highest point, or the very best part.

3. From an Arabic word for "zero," a c___er is a thing or person with no value, no importance, or no specific qualities at all. Or, it's a secret code or message.

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

"Kismet" traces back through Turkish to an Arabic word for "fate, lot, or portion," and further back to an Arabic word for "divide." So, kismet is the specific little piece of life or luck that the universe seems to have set aside to give to you.

We started using "kismet" in English around the year 1849. Of course, we already had the words "fate," "destiny," and "predestiny," but just look at "kismet," for heaven's sake! It's cool! It's quirky! We're taking it. It's ours now.

If you're wondering what distinguishes "kismet" from "fate" and "destiny," Charles Harrington Elster explains it best: "While destiny can deal you a bad hand and fate can lead you to your doom, kismet can give you the talent you need to succeed and put you in the right place at the right time."

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Noun, the uncountable kind: "It was a moment of kismet;" "It felt like kismet when they bumped into each other again;" "It was kismet when they found each other again after thirty years."

Other forms:

None.

how to use it:

The word "kismet" is a little rare, which makes it quirky and fun.

Pick it instead of "fate" or "destiny" when you want to strike a playful and positive tone as you talk about wonderful little lucky events: things that lead to us finding love, success, or happiness of some kind.

You might describe something as a moment of kismet, or say that some event or result feels like kismet. Or, you might credit kismet for some lucky event or result.

examples:

"After only a short time chatting, they found they had very similar interests in movies and sports. Both are die-hard Washington Wizards fans and college athletes. It was kismet when they discovered they both wore the same athletic jersey, number 3."
— Megan McDonough, Washington Post, 17 October 2014

"As soon as someone is born, parents rush to their trusted astrologer to draw up a chart... This geometric constellation of diamonds and squares and triangles details everything from your constitution to what color you should wear for good luck to whatever that winking, smirking kismet has planned for you."
— Alisha Haridasani Gupta, New York Times, 9 July 2020

has this page helped you understand "kismet"?

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this term, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "kismet" without saying "fate" or "destiny."

try it out:

In an essay about trying to date online, Lavinia Spalding wrote:

"I grew discouraged. From what I could tell, the internet was where kismet went to die."

Talk about what she means. And, looking back on your own life experience, where (or in what situation) do you think kismet goes to die? Or, if you're an optimist: where do you think kismet thrives?

If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.)

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game this month: Poetic Connections!

Check out three snippets from a poem, along with three words we've studied—some beautiful, some outrageous—and decide which word you'll connect to each snippet. To see the definitions, highlight the hidden white text after each word. And to see an example, head here.

Try this set today:

"Slam, Dunk, & Hook" by Yusef Komunyakaa

Snippets:
1. "Lanky, all hands & feet...sprung rhythm"
2. "Metaphysical when girls cheered on the sidelines"
3. "Nothing but a hot Swish of strings like silk ten feet out"

Words:
A. cadent (meaning... having a pleasant rhythm)
B. dulcet (meaning... sweet in a gentle, musical way)
C. exult (meaning... to show joy, as if leaping up)

To see one possible set of answers, scroll all the way down; if your answers don’t match these, that's fine: all that matters is that yours make sense to you.

review this word:

1. A near opposite of KISMET could be

A. WIT.
B. FREE WILL.
C. LUCK OF THE DRAW.

2. Taye Diggs told the Associated Press, "From the moment [Shane W. Evans] and I started to work together, we both knew _____." Evans agreed, adding, "I don't want to sound corny, but the word kismet comes to mind."

A. we would drive each other insane
B. it was something kind of bigger than us
C. our artistic styles were likely to dovetail

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.

I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
On vocabulary...
  36 ways to study words.
  Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
  How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.

From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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