FATAL
Dictionary entry overview: What does fatal mean?
• FATAL (adjective)
The adjective FATAL has 4 senses:
1. bringing death
2. having momentous consequences; of decisive importance
3. (of events) having extremely unfortunate or dire consequences; bringing ruin
4. controlled or decreed by fate; predetermined
Familiarity information: FATAL used as an adjective is uncommon.
Dictionary entry details
• FATAL (adjective)
Meaning:
Bringing death
Similar:
deadly; deathly; mortal (causing or capable of causing death)
deadly; lethal (of an instrument of certain death)
terminal (causing or ending in or approaching death)
Antonym:
nonfatal (not bringing death)
Meaning:
Having momentous consequences; of decisive importance
Synonyms:
fateful; fatal
Context examples:
that fateful meeting of the U.N. when...it declared war on North Korea / the fatal day of the election finally arrived
Similar:
decisive (determining or having the power to determine an outcome)
Meaning:
(of events) having extremely unfortunate or dire consequences; bringing ruin
Synonyms:
calamitous; disastrous; fatal; fateful; black
Context examples:
the stock market crashed on Black Friday / a calamitous defeat / the battle was a disastrous end to a disastrous campaign / such doctrines, if true, would be absolutely fatal to my theory / it is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it / a fateful error
Similar:
unfortunate (not favored by fortune; marked or accompanied by or resulting in ill fortune)
Meaning:
Controlled or decreed by fate; predetermined
Synonyms:
fatal; fateful
Context example:
a fatal series of events
Similar:
inevitable (incapable of being avoided or prevented)
