1
[ adjective ] having momentous consequences; of decisive importance

Synonyms

fatal

Examples

"that fateful meeting of the U.N. when...it declared war on North Korea"- Saturday Rev "the fatal day of the election finally arrived"

Used in print

(L. Don Leet and Florence J. Leet, editors, The World of...)

On the fateful day in 1896 when the great waves approached Japan , fishermen at_sea noticed no unusual swells .

(Brainard Cheney, "Christianity and the Tragic Vision-Ut...)

The show was colorful , indeed , exuberant , but the press for all its assiduity could detect no note of a fateful rendezvous with destiny .

Related terms

decisive

2
[ adjective ] of ominous significance

Related terms

prophetic

3
[ adjective ] (of events) having extremely unfortunate or dire consequences; bringing ruin

Examples

"the stock market crashed on Black Friday" "a calamitous defeat" "a disastrous end to a disastrous campaign" "this would be absolutely fatal to my theory"

Related terms

unfortunate

4
[ adjective ] controlled or decreed by fate; predetermined

Synonyms

fatal

Examples

"a fatal series of events"

Related terms

inevitable

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