as in cynical
having or showing a belief that the future is determined and cannot be changed
His fatalistic outlook resulted in a lack of motivation to pursue a career.
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Recent Examples of fatalistic
Many, though, are fearful about what is to come at the World Cup — and fatalistic about the future.
—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
When the voyeur and his subject begin physically to interact, there is low-key suspense, a hint of danger and a fatalistic romantic current fed by their growing mutual curiosity.
—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
Blowing a 3-0 lead in an elimination game was a kick in the shins worthy of this most fatalistic of sports markets.
—
John Shipley,
Twin Cities,
14 May 2026
Beats that might once have been framed through a hazy, absurdist lens now play as something much more fatalistic and frightening.
—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
20 Apr. 2026
Most people have a very fatalistic view of their age.
—
Erin Allday,
San Francisco Chronicle,
22 Feb. 2026
Known for his spare, unforgiving style and darkly comic fatalistic sensibility, along with his penchant for leather jackets, lots of smoking and a deadpan sense of humor, Tarr was a quintessential arthouse filmmaker.
—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
There was this kind of fatalistic view that there was not that much that could be done.
—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
18 Dec. 2025
Navarro is an expert at navigating the surreal, fatalistic way the captain thinks of herself.
—
Emma Alpern,
Vulture,
2 Dec. 2025
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
When the voyeur and his subject begin physically to interact, there is low-key suspense, a hint of danger and a fatalistic romantic current fed by their growing mutual curiosity.
—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
Blowing a 3-0 lead in an elimination game was a kick in the shins worthy of this most fatalistic of sports markets.
—
John Shipley,
Twin Cities,
14 May 2026
Beats that might once have been framed through a hazy, absurdist lens now play as something much more fatalistic and frightening.
—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
20 Apr. 2026
Most people have a very fatalistic view of their age.
—
Erin Allday,
San Francisco Chronicle,
22 Feb. 2026
Known for his spare, unforgiving style and darkly comic fatalistic sensibility, along with his penchant for leather jackets, lots of smoking and a deadpan sense of humor, Tarr was a quintessential arthouse filmmaker.
—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
There was this kind of fatalistic view that there was not that much that could be done.
—
Alexa Mikhail,
Flow Space,
18 Dec. 2025
Navarro is an expert at navigating the surreal, fatalistic way the captain thinks of herself.
—
Emma Alpern,
Vulture,
2 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fatalistic
Adjective
-
Traditionally cynical and perceptive commentators—not to mention a lot of tired citizens—found themselves, in some accounts, overcome by an unexpected wave of patriotic sentimentality that washed away, at least for a moment, their gnawing doubts.
-
Heston is at his most gleefully cynical as Robert Thorn, a police detective who lives and works in a New York City decimated by environmental deterioration and dwindling resources.
Adjective
-
But a recent poll shows that a majority abroad have a negative view of the country.
-
Bass’ handling of the Palisades fire has had a long-lasting, negative impact on voters’ opinions of her.
Cite this Entry
“Fatalistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fatalistic. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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