fatal
adjective
SYNONYMS FOR fatal
OTHER WORDS FROM fatal
Words nearby fatal
VOCAB BUILDER
What does fatal mean?
Fatal literally means deadly—capable of causing death.
Similar words are deadly, lethal, and mortal—though they are often used in different ways.
Fatal can also be used in a figurative way to mean capable of causing the destruction, ruin, or failure of someone or something, as in Failing to update their products proved to be a fatal mistake for the company.
Example: These changes will hopefully greatly reduce the number of fatal car accidents that occur on highways.
Where does fatal come from?
The first records of fatal in English come from the second half of the 1300s. It comes from the Latin fātālis, meaning “of fate.” Fatal was originally used in English to refer to things affected or doomed by fate—and it can still be used this way, though it is uncommon. It wasn’t until around the 1500s that fatal started to be used to refer to things that can cause death or ruin.
Most commonly, fatal is applied to things that can cause death, such as a fatal dose of drugs, or things that have resulted in death, such as a fatal accident. A mistake can be described as fatal if it literally causes someone to die. But the phrase fatal mistake more often refers to something that caused the destruction of something, as in The chaotic press conference ended up being fatal to the campaign.
Fatal can mean “fateful,” but this is much less commonly used than its other senses. However, it is used in this way in the term fatalism, referring to a belief that everything is inevitable and determined by fate. Someone with such a view can be described as fatalistic.
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What are some other forms related to fatal?
- fatally (adverb)
- nonfatally (adverb)
- fatalness (noun)
- nonfatal (adjective)
- nonfatalness (noun)
What are some synonyms for fatal?
What are some words that share a root or word element with fatal?
What are some words that often get used in discussing fatal?
How is fatal used in real life?
Fatal is most often used in a literal (and very serious) way to refer to something that caused or can cause death.
One of the men accused in the fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery was involved in a previous prosecution of Arbery, according to a letter written by a prosecutor who has since recused himself from the case https://t.co/1JrUCUckQw
— CNN (@CNN) May 9, 2020
MORE: For context, this is considered a fatal dose of fentanyl – approx. 2.5 milligrams.
Fentanyl is 50-100 times more powerful than morphine, and highly addictive.
Experts says users are seeking out dealers who’ve caused fatal overdoses all in order to secure a stronger high. pic.twitter.com/Uz5gaseseQ
— Kevin Lewis (@ABC7Kevin) August 3, 2018
Remember that success isn’t final, failure isn’t fatal. It’s the courage to continue that counts 🦍
— Burna Boy (@burnaboy) January 17, 2020
Try using fatal!
Which of the following words is NOT a synonym for fatal?
A. lethal
B. deadly
C. trivial
D. ruinous