fateful

adjective

fate·​ful ˈfāt-fəl 

1

: having a quality of ominous prophecy

a fateful remark

2

a

: involving momentous consequences : decisive

… made his fateful decision to declare war …

—W. L. Shirer

b

: deadly, catastrophic

3

: controlled by fate : foreordained

fatefully

ˈfāt-fə-lē 

adverb

fatefulness noun

Synonyms of fateful

• disastrous
• fatal
• unfortunate
• catastrophic

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

In DaCosta’s vision, Tessa Thompson dives in as Hedda, a woman in 1950s London trapped within the constraints of society who, in one fateful night amid a swirl of scandal, trysts and jealousy at an opulent party, decides to take it all down. —Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 18 Dec. 2025

On that fateful morning, Orville and Wilbur Wright achieved what generations before had only dreamt of. —Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 17 Dec. 2025

Keen to change direction following that fateful meeting, in 2004, Sue went to work full-time for Windflower Farm–the Park Slope CSA supplier–in upstate New York. —Alexandra Kirkman, Fortune, 17 Dec. 2025

Larry Ellison, the Oracle software tycoon and multibillionaire, used to be a keen offshore racer, leading his maxi yacht Sayonara to Line Honors victories in 1995 and in the fateful 1998 race. —Andrew Rice, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1720, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for fateful

• ungrateful
• grateful
• hateful

Kids Definition

fateful

adjective

fate·​ful ˈfāt-fəl 

1

: foretelling usually bad things to come

a fateful remark

2

: having serious results : important

a fateful decision

fatefully

-fə-lē 

adverb

fatefulness noun