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

Ford today saw this reversal as a reflection of real actions that Sharaa has taken to reshape his objectives even prior to the fateful offensive that brought him to power. —Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2025

Hebda was there that fateful August day. —Frankie McLister, CBS News, 7 Dec. 2025

Choosing the unfortunate 10% of kids who should make the fateful trip to outer space is an impossible task — Thanos's finger snap was so much easier — but the politicians hardly cover themselves in glory. —Richard Edwards, Space.com, 5 Dec. 2025

That was 38 years ago this month, and the lipstick hue the makeup artist chose that fateful day has remained a constant in her makeup routine ever since. —Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 5 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