leave someone to their fate

verb

to abandon; to give up on; to leave on their own – chiefly in regard to avoid upcoming misfortune

“I thought I could rely on you, and yet you completely leave me to my fate during my illness!”

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Meanings

verbleave someone to their fate (third-person singular simple present leaves someone to their fate, present participle leaving someone to their fate, simple past and past participle left someone to their fate)

present singular third person leaves someone to their fate · participle present leaving someone to their fate · participle past left someone to their fate · past left someone to their fate

  1. idiomaticto abandon; to give up on; to leave on their own – chiefly in regard to avoid upcoming misfortune

    I thought I could rely on you, and yet you completely leave me to my fate during my illness!

    1 more example

    When the brake pedal stopped working at that speed, I jumped out through the door and left my car to its fate.

Translations

Swedish lämna någon åt sitt öde
  • lämna någon åt sitt ödeto abandon; to give up on
Cite this entry
APA

leave someone to their fate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leave%20someone%20to%20their%20fate

MLA

“leave someone to their fate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leave%20someone%20to%20their%20fate. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “leave someone to their fate,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leave%20someone%20to%20their%20fate.

Source: leave someone to their fate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.