Fatal — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˈfā-tᵊl/ fa·tal

Meaning & Definition of Fatal

Fatal (adjective)

  1. causing death
  2. bringing ruin
  3. causing failure

Fatal (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. bringing about ruin or misfortune

    "I made the fatal mistake of sharing my secret with the office's biggest blabbermouth"

    similar: calamitous, cataclysmal, catastrophic, damning, destructive, disastrous, fateful, ruinous, unfortunate
    related: apocalyptic, hapless, ill-fated, ill-starred, luckless, adverse, baleful, baneful, damaging, deleterious, detrimental, evil, harmful, hurtful, ill, injurious, noxious, pernicious, prejudicial
    near: fluky, fortuitous, fortunate, happy, lucky, providential, auspicious, bright, encouraging, fair, golden, heartening, hopeful, optimistic, promising, propitious, rose-colored, rosy, upbeat

  2. likely to cause or capable of causing death

    "that snake's venom is fatal unless the victim is given the antidote almost immediately"

    similar: baleful, deadly, deathly, fell, killer, lethal, mortal, murderous, pestilent, terminal, vital
    related: baneful, deleterious, destructive, harmful, injurious, noxious, pernicious, truculent, infectious, infective, pestilential, poisonous, sublethal, toxic, virulent, dangerous, grave, grievous, hazardous, jeopardizing, menacing, parlous, perilous, risky, serious, threatening, ugly, unhealthy, unsound, bloody, internecine, sanguinary, sanguine
    opposite: healthful, healthy, nonfatal, nonlethal, wholesome
    near: beneficial, restorative, salubrious, salutary, alleviative, corrective, curative, remedial, tonic, advantageous, useful, nonpoisonous, nontoxic, safe

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Fatal

The most common words with a similar meaning to Fatal:

calamitous, cataclysmal, catastrophic, damning, destructive, disastrous, fateful, ruinous, unfortunate, baleful, deadly, deathly, fell, killer, lethal, mortal, murderous, pestilent, terminal, vital

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Fatal

Words with the opposite meaning of Fatal:

healthful, healthy, nonfatal, nonlethal, wholesome

Related Words for Fatal

apocalyptic, hapless, ill-fated, ill-starred, luckless, adverse, baneful, damaging, deleterious, detrimental, evil, harmful, hurtful, ill, injurious, noxious, pernicious, prejudicial, truculent, infectious, infective, pestilential, poisonous, sublethal, toxic, virulent, dangerous, grave, grievous, hazardous

Near Antonyms of Fatal

fluky, fortuitous, fortunate, happy, lucky, providential, auspicious, bright, encouraging, fair, golden, heartening, hopeful, optimistic, promising, propitious, rose-colored, rosy, upbeat, beneficial, restorative, salubrious, salutary, alleviative, corrective, curative, remedial, tonic, advantageous, useful

Origin & Etymology of Fatal

Middle English, from Latin fatalis, from fatum fate

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Fatal

Frequently Asked Questions about Fatal

What does "Fatal" mean?

"Fatal" means causing death. As an adjective, it is defined as: causing death. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Fatal"?

Other words for "Fatal" include calamitous, cataclysmal, catastrophic, damning, destructive, disastrous, fateful and ruinous. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Fatal" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Fatal"?

There are 64 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Fatal". Common alternatives include calamitous, cataclysmal, catastrophic, damning, destructive, disastrous, fateful, ruinous, unfortunate and baleful.

What is the opposite of "Fatal"?

Antonyms of "Fatal" include healthful, healthy, nonfatal, nonlethal and wholesome. Near antonyms include fluky, fortuitous, fortunate and happy.

How do you use "Fatal" in a sentence?

Examples of "Fatal" in a sentence: "I made the fatal mistake of sharing my secret with the office's biggest blabbermouth"; "that snake's venom is fatal unless the victim is given the antidote almost immediately".

Is "Fatal" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Fatal" is an adjective.

Is "Fatal" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Fatal" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Fatal"?

"Fatal" is pronounced /ˈfā-tᵊl/ and divided into syllables as fa·tal.