What does "checkmate" mean?
The conclusive victory in a game of chess that occurs when an opponent's king is threatened with unavoidable capture.
Checkmate
/ˈt͡ʃɛkmeɪt/ intj, noun, verb
intj, noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The conclusive victory in a game of chess that occurs when an opponent's king is threatened with unavoidable capture.
- Grammar: checkmate is listed as intj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: mate, arrest, baffle, bafflement.
- Useful contrasts: draw, resign, resist.
- Usage evidence: Two fat men trying to pass through a narrow doorway are in checkmate.
How to use "checkmate"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "checkmate" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "checkmate" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "checkmate" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "checkmate" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "checkmate" is acting as intj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "mate" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "checkmate", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The conclusive victory in a game of chess that occurs when an opponent's king is threatened with unavoidable capture. countable, uncountable
"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."
- 2 a chess move constituting an inescapable and indefensible attack on the opponent's king wordnet
- 3 Any losing situation with no escape; utter defeat. broadly, countable, figuratively, uncountable
- 4 complete victory wordnet
Verb
- 1 To put the king of an opponent into checkmate. transitive
"My opponent checkmated me in four moves!"
- 2 place an opponent's king under an attack from which it cannot escape and thus ending the game wordnet
- 3 To place in a losing situation that has no escape. broadly, transitive
"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?"
Intj
- 1 Word called out by the victor when making a move that wins the game.
- 2 Said when one has placed a person in a losing situation with no escape. broadly
Example
"Two fat men trying to pass through a narrow doorway are in checkmate."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "checkmate"?
Common synonyms include: mate, arrest, baffle, bafflement, balk, balking.
How do you use "checkmate" in a sentence?
Two fat men trying to pass through a narrow doorway are in checkmate.
How do you pronounce "checkmate"?
Pronounced /ˈt͡ʃɛkmeɪt/.
Etymology
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”).