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

• calamitous
• cataclysmal
• cataclysmic
• catastrophic
• damning
• destructive
• disastrous
• fatal
• ruinous
• unfortunate

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

But one fateful summer, I got called up to go up to Saratoga Race Course and work for a print publication called The Saratoga Special. —Bennett Conlin, Baltimore Sun, 16 May 2025

But once the crew sets out on a fateful cattle drive to Montana, confronting the hazards (both elemental and human) of the still-wild West, the novel becomes a dizzying adventure, pulling more and more characters into its wide, braided narrative. —The Atlantic, 15 May 2025

Roberts continued, questioning the DNA sampling process that fateful evening. —Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 14 May 2025

Back in October, the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves did a fateful super-swap, with Wolves lifer Karl-Anthony Towns traded for two beloved Knicks that helped revive Madison Square Garden. —Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 14 May 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