Synonyms of fatal

fatal

adjective

ˈfā-tᵊl 

1

as in disastrous

bringing about ruin or misfortune

I made the fatal mistake of sharing my secret with the office's biggest blabbermouth

Synonyms & Similar Words

• disastrous
• catastrophic
• unfortunate
• cataclysmic
• destructive
• fateful
• ruinous
• calamitous
• damning
• damaging
• adverse
• apocalyptic
• harmful
• cataclysmal
• detrimental
• injurious
• pernicious
• deleterious
• apocalyptical
• luckless
• hapless
• baneful
• evil
• prejudicial
• ill-fated
• hurtful
• ill-starred
• noxious
• ill
• baleful

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• fortuitous
• lucky
• fortunate
• happy
• providential
• fluky
• fair
• promising
• flukey
• golden
• optimistic
• propitious
• bright
• hopeful
• encouraging
• rosy
• auspicious
• heartening
• upbeat
• rose-colored

2

as in lethal

likely to cause or capable of causing death

that snake's venom is fatal unless the victim is given the antidote almost immediately

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lethal
• deadly
• poisonous
• infectious
• infective
• killer
• harmful
• terminal
• dangerous
• toxic
• deathly
• mortal
• murderous
• baleful
• injurious
• fell
• destructive
• hazardous
• pernicious
• vital
• deleterious
• pestilent
• serious
• baneful
• virulent
• risky
• perilous
• sublethal
• noxious
• pestilential
• threatening
• ugly
• bloody
• truculent
• grievous
• menacing
• sanguinary
• unhealthy
• grave
• parlous
• unsound
• jeopardizing
• sanguine
• internecine

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• nonfatal
• healthy
• beneficial
• healthful
• nonlethal
• wholesome
• salutary
• corrective
• salubrious
• remedial
• restorative
• curative
• useful
• advantageous
• tonic
• safe
• nontoxic
• alleviative
• nonpoisonous

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective fatal differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of fatal are deadly, lethal, and mortal. While all these words mean "causing or capable of causing death," fatal stresses the inevitability of what has in fact resulted in death or destruction.

fatal consequences

When is it sensible to use deadly instead of fatal?

While the synonyms deadly and fatal are close in meaning, deadly applies to an established or very likely cause of death.

a deadly disease

When would lethal be a good substitute for fatal?

The meanings of lethal and fatal largely overlap; however, lethal applies to something that is bound to cause death or exists for the destruction of life.

lethal gas

When might mortal be a better fit than fatal?

The synonyms mortal and fatal are sometimes interchangeable, but mortal implies that death has occurred or is inevitable.

a mortal wound

Examples of fatal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

After a fatal shooting at a school in small-town Georgia, districts nationwide were inundated with threats. —Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 23 Sep. 2024

Officials release comments in wake of shooting Lawmakers and community leaders in Letcher County and across the commonwealth continue to react in the wake of the fatal shooting at the Letcher County Courthouse in Whitesburg Thursday. —Connor Giffin, The Courier-Journal, 21 Sep. 2024

The pace of opioid overdose deaths still remains far worse than before the pandemic, when there were fewer than 50,000 fatal overdoses a year. —Alexander Tin, CBS News, 13 Sep. 2024

By Samantha Riedel September 13, 2024 This article contains descriptions of fatal violence against a Black transgender woman. —Samantha Riedel, Them, 13 Sep. 2024