fateful

adjective

fate·​ful ˈfāt-fəl How to pronounce fateful (audio)
1
: having a quality of ominous prophecy
a fateful remark
2
a
: involving momentous consequences : decisive
made his fateful decision to declare warW. L. Shirer
3
: controlled by fate : foreordained
fatefully adverb
fatefulness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for fateful

ominous, portentous, fateful mean having a menacing or threatening aspect.

ominous implies having a menacing, alarming character foreshadowing evil or disaster.

ominous rumblings from the volcano

portentous suggests being frighteningly big or impressive but now seldom definitely connotes forewarning of calamity.

an eerie and portentous stillness

fateful suggests being of momentous or decisive importance.

the fateful conference that led to war

Examples of fateful in a Sentence

His life changed on that fateful November evening. Hundreds perished on that fateful day. Her campaign took a fateful turn.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Revere never attempted to claim all the glory for that fateful night. Ellen Wexler, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Apr. 2025 Sammie refuses and the three discuss that fateful night, with Sammie revealing that, before the horror began, that was the best day of his life. Megan McCluskey, Time, 18 Apr. 2025 Here is an excerpt of the drama that led up to that fateful night that would force her underground and into the shadows. Susannah Cahalan, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2025 All his life, Parks Stephenson has been trying to make sense of what happened to the Titanic on that fateful night of in 1912. Sean Kingsley, HollywoodReporter, 11 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fateful

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1720, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fateful was circa 1720

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fateful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fateful. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

fateful

adjective
fate·​ful ˈfāt-fəl How to pronounce fateful (audio)
1
: foretelling usually bad things to come
a fateful remark
2
: having serious results : important
a fateful decision
fatefully adverb
fatefulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on fateful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!