What does "fare" mean?
A going; journey; travel; voyage; course; passage.
Fare
/fɛə/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A going; journey; travel; voyage; course; passage.
- Grammar: fare is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: admission, admission fee, advance, adventurer.
- Useful contrasts: fail, flounder, free.
- Usage evidence: The fare is one dollar each way.
How to use "fare"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "fare" 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 "fare" 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 "fare" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "fare" 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 "fare" is acting as noun, verb, slang 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 "admission" 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 "fare", 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 A going; journey; travel; voyage; course; passage. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"thoroughfare"
- 2 an agenda of things to do wordnet
- 3 Money paid for a transport ticket. countable
"train fare"
- 4 the food and drink that are regularly served or consumed wordnet
- 5 A paying passenger, especially in a taxi. countable
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 a paying (taxi) passenger wordnet
- 7 Food and drink. uncountable
"“[…] She takes the whole thing with desperate seriousness. But the others are all easy and jovial—thinking about the good fare that is soon to be eaten, about the hired fly, about anything.”"
- 8 the sum charged for riding in a public conveyance wordnet
- 9 Supplies for consumption or pleasure. uncountable
"The television channel tended to broadcast unremarkable downmarket fare."
- 10 A prostitute's client. UK, countable, slang
Verb
- 1 To go, travel. archaic, intransitive
"Behold! A knight fares forth."
- 2 eat well wordnet
- 3 To get along, succeed (well or badly); to be in any state, or pass through any experience, good or bad; to be attended with any circumstances or train of events. intransitive
"How did you fare in the exam?"
- 4 proceed or get along wordnet
- 5 To eat, dine. archaic, intransitive
"There was a certain rich man which […] fared sumptuously every day."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 To happen well, or ill. impersonal, intransitive
"We shall see how it will fare with him."
- 7 To move along; proceed; progress; advance intransitive
"We will continue to monitor how the hurricane fares against projected models."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The fare is one dollar each way."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "fare"?
Common synonyms include: admission, admission fee, advance, adventurer, airfare, airfares.
How do you use "fare" in a sentence?
The fare is one dollar each way.
How do you pronounce "fare"?
Pronounced /fɛə/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English fare, from a merger of Old English fær (“journey, road”) and faru (“journey, companions, baggage”), from Proto-Germanic *farą and *farō (“journey, fare”), from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“a going, passage”).
Etymology 2
From Middle English faren, from Old English faran (“to travel, journey”), from Proto-West Germanic *faran, from Proto-Germanic *faraną, from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“a going, passage”). Cognate with West Frisian farre, Dutch varen (“to sail”), German fahren (“to travel”), Danish and Norwegian Bokmål fare, Norwegian Nynorsk and Icelandic fara (“to go”) and Swedish fara (“to travel”).