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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fatal He is charged in the fatal shootings of Democratic-Farmer-Labor state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, at their Brooklyn Park home, and in the shootings that injured DFL state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette Hoffman, at their Champlin house. Mara H. Gottfried, Twin Cities, 19 June 2025 All lanes of eastbound I-70 were closed for about 2 1/2 hours while police investigated the fatal wreck. Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 19 June 2025 Selling bitcoin volatility into a bull market could prove fatal. Alexander S. Blume, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025 Here's what to know about the rare, but often fatal, disease. Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 9 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for fatal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fatal
Adjective
  • Skipping this governance checkpoint essentially means letting people create powerful and untested tools for decision making, which could be disastrous to an organization’s future success.
    Larry English, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
  • Trading away Jokic would be disastrous, and the thought of it is just as bad.
    Ricardo Klein, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025
Adjective
  • Richard Gerald Jordan, a 79-year-old Vietnam veteran with PTSD, received a lethal injection at the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman.
    Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 25 June 2025
  • Advertisement Build a Check-In Culture Loneliness can be lethal during a heatwave.
    Kathy Baughman McLeod, Time, 24 June 2025
Adjective
  • Days before Trump ordered the drone strike that killed him, Soleimani had orchestrated a deadly attack on a U.S. base in Iraq.
    Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 24 June 2025
  • Since Israel launched its Gaza offensive in the wake of Hamas' deadly October 2023 attack, the country has faced war crimes accusations from United Nations officials and human rights groups.
    Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025
Adjective
  • Shakira does appear to be the beneficiary of an unintended consequence stemming from her unfortunate moves.
    Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
  • The unfortunate widowed Ellen Brody (Lorraine Gary) heads down to the Bahamas to visit her son, Michael (Lance Guest), and guess who follows?
    Chris Nashawaty, EW.com, 20 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fatal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fatal. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on fatal

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!