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

Edgar, who was 17 at the time and is on trial as an adult, listened closely as the witnesses gave their testimony, juxtaposed by different angles of police and surveillance videos capturing those fateful minutes. — Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Aug. 2026

Chang’e 7 could be its most fateful moon milestone yet as the quest for lunar ice heats up. — Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2026

Peter Bergen’s All the Presidents’ Wars chronicles the fateful decisions and events that were shaped by those fears. — Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026

The day of the fateful shootout, Sheriff Joseph McKinney had seized a squatter’s house, but a large armed party of men led by Maloney reclaimed it and began moving toward the waterfront. — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 15 Aug. 2026

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