fateful

adjective

ˈfāt-fəl How to pronounce fateful (audio)
Definition of fatefulnext
as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune a fateful encounter with a confidence man that they would long regret

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective fateful differ from other similar words?

The words ominous and portentous are common synonyms of fateful. While all three words mean "having a menacing or threatening aspect," fateful suggests being of momentous or decisive importance.

the fateful conference that led to war

Where would ominous be a reasonable alternative to fateful?

Although the words ominous and fateful have much in common, ominous implies having a menacing, alarming character foreshadowing evil or disaster.

ominous rumblings from the volcano

When is it sensible to use portentous instead of fateful?

While the synonyms portentous and fateful are close in meaning, portentous suggests being frighteningly big or impressive but now seldom definitely connotes forewarning of calamity.

an eerie and portentous stillness

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fateful The day of the fateful shootout, Sheriff Joseph McKinney had seized a squatter’s house, but a large armed party of men led by Maloney reclaimed it and began moving toward the waterfront. — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 15 Aug. 2026 But a month later, Colón competed against Terrel Williams at the EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia, on a night that proved fateful to the rising star. — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026 Since that fateful summer, Steven Spielberg's sci-fi survival thriller has reigned supreme as the undisputed king of dinosaur films. — Megan McCluskey, Time, 14 Aug. 2026 Stewart recently recalled her fateful run-in with the frontman of that last group and the beautiful friendship that blossomed. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fateful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fateful
  1. disastrous
  2. fatal
  3. unfortunate
  4. catastrophic
Adjective
  • Arjun Poudel, a health reporter in Nepal, was commuting to the offices of the Kathmandu Post, in the country’s capital, when messages started coming in about a disastrous flood in his home town, close to the border with China.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Since a disastrous debut, the rookie right-hander has allowed just two runs over his last 9 2/3 innings with 15 strikeouts.
    — Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of disastrous
Adjective
  • An incident that for others might be fatal—a free fall from a high bridge—affects the coyote for only a brief moment.
    — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • There is a broad debate over the applicability of PNB to modern anti-trust cases, with many legal scholars finding the application of a random number, without any real analysis of the potential harm a merger might cause, to be a fatal flaw.
    — Shubha Ghosh, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of fatal
Adjective
  • Hall was excellent for Newcastle against Liverpool in the clubs’ season opener on Sunday, and unfortunate to concede a stoppage-time penalty for the equaliser.
    — Andy Naylor, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • People have an unfortunate tendency to make this song sound dour, but Garcia fills it with energy.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of unfortunate
Adjective
  • As the consequences of this strategically catastrophic campaign become ever more apparent, the New Right’s clout is set to grow, having opposed the war from the start.
    — Leonard A. Schuette, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The heavy snows purify the air and insulate the food warehouses, locking in the high humidity and stable chill necessary to nurture delicate winter koji and yeast strains without catastrophic temperature spikes.
    — Adam H. Graham, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of catastrophic

Browse Nearby Words

fated
fateful
fates
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Cite this Entry

“Fateful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fateful. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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