star-crossed
Destined for tragedy
Star-crossed describes lovers or others whose relationship is doomed by fate or circumstance.
The term comes from Shakespeare's "star-crossed lovers" in *Romeo and Juliet*, suggesting the stars—which supposedly govern destiny—have aligned against them.
The star-crossed couple met in a war zone and were separated by borders they couldn't cross.
Destined to fail
- tragicCausing great sorrow
- cursedUnder a malevolent spell
- foredoomedCondemned in advance
- destinedFixed by fate
fated · hopeless · inevitable · inescapable · blighted · jinxed · hapless · unfortunate
Predetermined course of events
- kismetPreordained future outcome
- providenceDivine protective care
- astrologyDivination by celestial positions
- celestialOf the sky above
cosmic · horoscope · zodiac · alignment · heavens · constellations · written · predestined
Romantic partners
- RomeoArdent male lover
- JulietFemale name, phonetic J
- forbiddenNot allowed
- passionateIntensely emotional or enthusiastic
soulmates · yearning · devotion · separated · pining · heartsick · enamored · besotted
ill-fated
Destined to fail
- tragicCausing great sorrow
- cursedUnder a malevolent spell
- foredoomedCondemned in advance
destined · fated · hopeless · inevitable · inescapable · blighted · jinxed · hapless · unfortunate · unlucky
destiny
Predetermined course of events
- kismetPreordained future outcome
- providenceDivine protective care
- astrologyDivination by celestial positions
celestial · cosmic · horoscope · zodiac · alignment · heavens · constellations · written · predestined · foreordained
lovers
Romantic partners
passionate · soulmates · yearning · devotion · separated · pining · heartsick · enamored · besotted · lovelorn
heartbreak
Crushing emotional pain
woe · lamentation · bittersweet · pathos · catharsis · downfall · demise · ruin · calamity · misfortune
- ShakespeareRomeo, Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello
- fortunelucky, luck, fortune, fate, destiny
- tragic romanceRomeo and Juliet, Tristan and Isolde, Wuthering Heights, doomed lovers, forbidden love
- AllusionsAchilles heel, Pandora's box, Trojan horse, forbidden fruit, Midas touch
- forbidden loveforbidden love, forbidden romance, illicit love, secret love, forbidden fruit
- literary idiomscatch-22, red herring, white whale, chapter and verse, by the book
star-crossedblessed
Receiving divine favor
fortunate · lucky · favored · auspicious · charmed
star-crossedmeant to be
Predetermined by fate
destined · made for each other · written in the stars · match made in heaven · fated
star, cross, crossing, stars, starring, crisscross, starry, crossbar, crossings