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

Andrew Pringle was 21 when he was fatally struck in Sacramento County on Folsom Boulevard, just outside an RT light rail station. —Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 1 Jan. 2026

Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark were fatally shot in their Brooklyn Park home as part of the attacks. —Nick Lentz, CBS News, 30 Dec. 2025

Kerri Abatti, a longtime member of the Pinetop community, had been fatally wounded. —Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 30 Dec. 2025

Authorities said the suspect, a man, was still in the lobby when he was fatally shot by police. —Shoshone News-Press, Idaho Statesman, 27 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for fatally

• postnatally
• prenatally