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

Carl Grillmair was fatally shot at the age of 67 at his home outside Los Angeles in February. —Natasha Chen, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2026

On Sunday morning, a man police identified as Shamar Elkins fatally shot seven of his children and another child in Shreveport, Louisiana. —ABC News, 21 Apr. 2026

The man who fatally shot eight children Sunday, most of them his own, had been hospitalized in recent months for mental health issues, according to family members. —Arkansas Online, 21 Apr. 2026

Loureiro was also fatally shot at his Massachusetts home. —Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 21 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for fatally

• postnatally
• prenatally