Meanings
interjection
alternative check and mate
- board gamesWord called out by the victor when making a move that wins the game.
- broadlySaid when one has placed a person in a losing situation with no escape.
nouncheckmate (countable and uncountable, plural checkmates)
plural checkmates
- countableuncountableboard gamesThe conclusive victory in a game of chess that occurs when an opponent's king is threatened with unavoidable capture.
This immediately ends the game, provided that the move producing the checkmate position was in accordance with Article 3 and Articles 4.2 – 4.7.
2022, “2023 Laws of Chess”, in FIDE, page 10
verbcheckmate (third-person singular simple present checkmates, present participle checkmating, simple past and past participle checkmated)
present singular third person checkmates · participle present checkmating · participle past checkmated · past checkmated
- broadlytransitiveTo place in a losing situation that has no escape.
Where is it? What does SCP-3125 look like? Its motivation, its origins, its modus operandi— how much of that can be known? Does it have to be known, to solve the problem? Does it matter how intelligent the intelligence is, once it's inside the box, once it's checkmated?
2019 December 9, qntm, “Wild Light”, in There Is No Antimemetics Division, →ISBN, page 191
Synonyms & antonyms
Similar
Narrower
double checkmatesmothered checkmate
nouna chess move constituting an inescapable and indefensible attack on the opponent's king
Similar
Broader
verbplace an opponent's king under an attack from which it cannot escape and thus ending the game
Similar
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*tek-
- Proto-Indo-Iranian*kšáyati
- Proto-Iranian*xšáyati
- Old Persian𐏋 (XŠ)
- Middle Persian𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠 (mlkʾ /šāh/)
- Classical Persianشَاه (šāh)
- Proto-Afroasiatic*mawut-
- Proto-Semitic*mawut-
- Arabicمَاتَ (māta)der.?
- Classical Persianمَات (māt)
- Classical Persianشاهمات (šāh-māt)
- Arabicشَاه مَاتَ (šāh māta)
- Old Frencheschec mat
- Middle Englishchekmat
- Englishcheckmate
From Middle English chekmat, from Old French eschec mat, from Arabic شَاه مَاتَ (šāh māta), from Classical Persian شاه مات (šāh māt, “the king [is] amazed”).
More words from Middle English, Old French, Arabic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic شَاهْ مَات, مَات
- شَاهْ مَات (šāh māt)said when making the conclusive move in chess
- مَات (māt)said when making the conclusive move in chess
- كِش مَلِك (kiš malik)said when making the conclusive move in chess
- شَاه مَات (šāh māt)conclusive victory in a game of chess
Bengali কিস্তিমাত
- কিস্তিমাত (kistimat)said when making the conclusive move in chess
Bulgarian мат, шах и мат
- мат (mat)said when making the conclusive move in chess
- шах и мат (šah i mat)said when making the conclusive move in chess
- мат (mat)conclusive victory in a game of chess
- мат (mat)losing situation with no escape
- мати́рам (matíram)to put an opponent into checkmate
- матирам (matiram)to lead to a situation of no escape
Catalan escac i mat
- escac i matsaid when making the conclusive move in chess
Chinese Mandarin 將軍 /将军, 將死 /将死
- 將軍 /将军 (jiāngjūn)said when making the conclusive move in chess
- 將死 /将死 (jiāngsǐ)conclusive victory in a game of chess
- 將軍 /将军 (jiāngjūn)conclusive victory in a game of chess
- 徹底失敗 /彻底失败 (chèdǐ shībài)losing situation with no escape
- 把...將死 /把...将死 (bǎ...jiāngsǐ)to put an opponent into checkmate
- 挫敗 /挫败 (cuòbài)to lead to a situation of no escape
Czech mat, šach mat
- matsaid when making the conclusive move in chess
- šach matsaid when making the conclusive move in chess
- matconclusive victory in a game of chess
- matová situacelosing situation with no escape
- matovatto put an opponent into checkmate
- dát matto put an opponent into checkmate
Danish skakmat, skakmat
- skakmatsaid when making the conclusive move in chess
- skakmatconclusive victory in a game of chess
- matconclusive victory in a game of chess
Dutch schaakmat, mat
- schaakmatsaid when making the conclusive move in chess
- matsaid when making the conclusive move in chess
- schaakmatconclusive victory in a game of chess
- matconclusive victory in a game of chess
Esperanto ŝakmato, ŝakmatigi
- ŝakmatoconclusive victory in a game of chess
- ŝakmatigito put an opponent into checkmate
Estonian šahh ja matt, matt
- šahh ja mattsaid when making the conclusive move in chess
- mattconclusive victory in a game of chess
- lüüasaaminelosing situation with no escape
Finnish shakki ja matti, matti
- shakki ja mattisaid when making the conclusive move in chess
- matticonclusive victory in a game of chess
- nurkkalosing situation with no escape
- umpikujalosing situation with no escape
- matittaato put an opponent into checkmate
- tehdä mattito put an opponent into checkmate
- saattaa umpikujaanto lead to a situation of no escape
- panna ahtaalleto lead to a situation of no escape
French échec et mat, échec et mat
- échec et matsaid when making the conclusive move in chess
- échec et matconclusive victory in a game of chess
- faire échec et matto put an opponent into checkmate
German schachmatt, schach und matt
- schachmattsaid when making the conclusive move in chess
- schach und mattsaid when making the conclusive move in chess
- Schachmattconclusive victory in a game of chess
- Schachmattlosing situation with no escape
- Niederlagelosing situation with no escape
- aussichtslose Lagelosing situation with no escape
- hoffnungslose Situationlosing situation with no escape
Greek ματ, ματ
- ματ (mat)said when making the conclusive move in chess
- ματ (mat)conclusive victory in a game of chess
Hebrew מָט, מט
- מָט (mat)said when making the conclusive move in chess
- מט (mat)conclusive victory in a game of chess
Hindi मात, शहमात
- मात (māt)said when making the conclusive move in chess
- शहमात (śahmāt)said when making the conclusive move in chess
- शहमात (śahmāt)conclusive victory in a game of chess
Hungarian sakk-matt, sakk-matt
- sakk-mattsaid when making the conclusive move in chess
- sakk-mattconclusive victory in a game of chess
- mattconclusive victory in a game of chess
- patthelyzetlosing situation with no escape
- zsákutcalosing situation with no escape
- vesztes/reménytelen/kilátástalan helyzetlosing situation with no escape
- mattot adto put an opponent into checkmate
- megmattolto put an opponent into checkmate
- sarokba szorítto lead to a situation of no escape
Icelandic skák og mát, mát
- skák og mátsaid when making the conclusive move in chess
- mátto put an opponent into checkmate
- mátato put an opponent into checkmate
Indonesian syahmat, skakmat
- syahmatsaid when making the conclusive move in chess
- skakmatsaid when making the conclusive move in chess
- sekakmatsaid when making the conclusive move in chess
Italian scacco matto, scacco matto
- scacco mattosaid when making the conclusive move in chess
- scacco mattoconclusive victory in a game of chess
- dare scacco mattoto put an opponent into checkmate
Japanese チェックメイト, 詰み
- チェックメイト (chekkumeito)said when making the conclusive move in chess
- 詰み (tsumi)said when making the conclusive move in chess
- 詰み (tsumi)conclusive victory in a game of chess
- チェックメイト (chekkumeito)conclusive victory in a game of chess
- チェックメート (chekkumēto)to put an opponent into checkmate
Korean 외통수, 체크메이트
- 외통수 (oetongsu)said when making the conclusive move in chess
- 체크메이트 (chekeumeiteu)said when making the conclusive move in chess
- 체크메이트 (chekeumeiteu)conclusive victory in a game of chess
- 외통수 (oetongsu)conclusive victory in a game of chess
Latvian šahs un mats
- šahs un matssaid when making the conclusive move in chess
Malay syahmat
- syahmatsaid when making the conclusive move in chess
Māori whakamiere, whakamiere
- whakamieresaid when making the conclusive move in chess
- whakamiereconclusive victory in a game of chess
- whakamiereto put an opponent into checkmate
Norwegian sjakkmatt
- sjakkmattsaid when making the conclusive move in chess
Norwegian Bokmål sjakkmatt
- sjakkmattconclusive victory in a game of chess
Persian کیش و مات, شاه مات
- کیش و مات (kiš o mât)said when making the conclusive move in chess
- شاه مات (šâh mât)said when making the conclusive move in chess
- شهمات (šahmât)said when making the conclusive move in chess
- مات (mât)said when making the conclusive move in chess
- کیش و مات (kiš o mât)conclusive victory in a game of chess
- شهمات (šahmât)conclusive victory in a game of chess
- مات (mât)conclusive victory in a game of chess
- کیش و مات (kiš o mât)losing situation with no escape
- شهمات کردن (šahmât kardan)to put an opponent into checkmate
- مات کردن (mât kardan)to put an opponent into checkmate
Polish mat, szach mat
- matsaid when making the conclusive move in chess
- szach matsaid when making the conclusive move in chess
- szach i matsaid when making the conclusive move in chess
- matconclusive victory in a game of chess
- zamatowaćto put an opponent into checkmate
- dać matato put an opponent into checkmate
Portuguese xeque-mate, xaque-mate
- xeque-matesaid when making the conclusive move in chess
- xaque-matesaid when making the conclusive move in chess
- xeque-mateconclusive victory in a game of chess
- xaque-mateconclusive victory in a game of chess
- xeque-matelosing situation with no escape
Romanian șah mat, mat
- șah matsaid when making the conclusive move in chess
- matsaid when making the conclusive move in chess
- șah matconclusive victory in a game of chess
- matconclusive victory in a game of chess
Russian мат, шах и мат
- мат (mat)said when making the conclusive move in chess
- шах и мат (šax i mat)said when making the conclusive move in chess
- шах и мат (šax i mat)conclusive victory in a game of chess
- мат (mat)conclusive victory in a game of chess
- ста́вить мат (stávitʹ mat)to put an opponent into checkmate
- поста́вить мат (postávitʹ mat)to put an opponent into checkmate
Scottish Gaelic clos, cuir clos air
- closconclusive victory in a game of chess
- cuir clos airto put an opponent into checkmate
Slovak šachmat, mat
- šachmatsaid when making the conclusive move in chess
- matsaid when making the conclusive move in chess
- matconclusive victory in a game of chess
- matová situácialosing situation with no escape
- dať šach matto put an opponent into checkmate
Spanish jaque mate, mate
- jaque matesaid when making the conclusive move in chess
- matesaid when making the conclusive move in chess
- jaque mateconclusive victory in a game of chess
- mateconclusive victory in a game of chess
Swedish schackmatt, matt
- schackmattsaid when making the conclusive move in chess
- mattconclusive victory in a game of chess
- schack mattconclusive victory in a game of chess
- schackmattato put an opponent into checkmate
- sätta mattto put an opponent into checkmate
- göra mattto put an opponent into checkmate
- sätta schackmattto put an opponent into checkmate
- göra schackmattto put an opponent into checkmate
Tagalog mate
- matesaid when making the conclusive move in chess
Thai รุกฆาต, รุกฆาตแล้ว
- รุกฆาต (rúk-kâat)said when making the conclusive move in chess
- รุกฆาตแล้ว (rúk-kâat-lɛ́ɛo)said when making the conclusive move in chess
- รุกฆาต (rúk-kâat)conclusive victory in a game of chess
- รุกฆาต (rúk-kâat)to put an opponent into checkmate
Turkish şah mat, mat etmek
- şah matsaid when making the conclusive move in chess
- mat etmekto put an opponent into checkmate
Ukrainian мат, шах і мат
- мат (mat)said when making the conclusive move in chess
- шах і мат (šax i mat)said when making the conclusive move in chess
- мат (mat)conclusive victory in a game of chess
Urdu شاہ اور مات, شاہ مات
- شاہ اور مات (śāh aur māt)said when making the conclusive move in chess
- شاہ مات (śāh māt)said when making the conclusive move in chess
Vietnamese chiếu tướng, chiếu hết
- chiếu tướngsaid when making the conclusive move in chess
- chiếu hếtsaid when making the conclusive move in chess
- chiếu hếtconclusive victory in a game of chess
- chiếu bíconclusive victory in a game of chess
- chiếu bíto put an opponent into checkmate
Welsh siachmat
- siachmatsaid when making the conclusive move in chess
Yiddish מאַט
- מאַט (mat)said when making the conclusive move in chess
Cite this entry
APA
checkmate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/checkmate
MLA
“checkmate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/checkmate. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “checkmate,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/checkmate.
Source: checkmate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.