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

• 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 a 179-page court filing submitted in 2024, prosecutors finally unpacked years of whispers and street talk in granular detail, laying out an explosive account of what allegedly happened before, during and after that fateful night in Las Vegas. —Danielle Bacher, People.com, 1 July 2025

In nearby Bonavista village, the Matthew Legacy is a full-sized replica of the caravel that Cabot sailed across the Atlantic on the fateful voyage. —Joe Yogerst, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025

There was, however, a fateful exception: slavery or involuntary servitude would remain permissible as punishment for crimes. —Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 30 June 2025

Her flippant attitude toward school, her refusal to talk through her grief, and her slippery grasp on the concepts of right and wrong can all be traced to that fateful night in this garage. —Stacia Brown, Vulture, 25 June 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