fatally

adverb

fa·​tal·​ly ˈfā-tᵊl-ē 

1

: in a way determined by fate

2

: in a manner suggesting fate or an act of fate: such as

a

: in a manner resulting in death : mortally

fatally wounded

b

: beyond repair : irrevocably

c

: in a manner resulting in ruin or evil

It is fatally easy to pass off our prejudices as our opinions.

—W. F. Hambly

d

: in a manner that cannot be easily resisted

… thinks she is fatally attractive …

—J. W. Krutch

Examples of fatally in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Sean Grayson, the man who fatally shot Sonya Massey in her home in 2024, has been denied medical release by the Illinois Prisoner Review Board, a board spokesperson said Friday. — Ava Kelley, NBC news, 31 July 2026

Nearly sixteen years after a San Francisco man was found fatally stabbed inside his apartment, police are seeking information in solving the cold case. — Tim Fang, CBS News, 31 July 2026

Colin Gray’s sentencing represents the end of a harrowing road that began with the September 2024 shooting in which his son, then 14, fatally shot two students and two teachers and injured nine others at his Winder, Georgia, high school. — Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 30 July 2026

The officer who fatally shot Ponce has been with the department since 2023, Garcia said. — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for fatally

• postnatally
• prenatally