as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune
a fateful encounter with a confidence man that they would long regret
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 fateful
Evans’ whirlwind legal problems all stem from the same fateful day.
—
Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026
The race began to go off the rails when the frontrunners were still about 13 unlucky minutes away from the fateful intersection.
—Kevin Dotson, CNN Money, 4 Mar. 2026
Keep reading for a breakdown on everything that's been said by Applegate and Bach about the fateful night in question.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Mar. 2026
Paltrow’s decision to appear in that film over another project, Keanu Reeves’ Feeling Minnesota, proved a fateful one for her love life.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fateful
Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2026
The race began to go off the rails when the frontrunners were still about 13 unlucky minutes away from the fateful intersection.
—Kevin Dotson, CNN Money, 4 Mar. 2026
Keep reading for a breakdown on everything that's been said by Applegate and Bach about the fateful night in question.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Mar. 2026
Paltrow’s decision to appear in that film over another project, Keanu Reeves’ Feeling Minnesota, proved a fateful one for her love life.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fateful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fateful
Adjective
-
And as someone who has done this a long time, Musselman understands that the responsibility for the team’s disastrous stretch run ultimately falls squarely on his shoulders.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Noem’s dissmissal comes after she was berated by lawmakers on Capitol Hill over a series of disastrous blunders by her department, including the killings of two American citizens by border patrol agents in Minneapolis and apparent attempts by DHS to stifle investigations into the shootings.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The man’s death marks Kansas City’s 24th homicide of 2026, compared to 26 at this time last year, according to data tracked by The Star, which includes fatal police shootings.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
11 Mar. 2026
-
According to the city's police department, the fatal accident occurred at 1990 S Flamingo Road.—
Ana Maria Soler,
CBS News,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Celta’s experienced striker Borja Iglesias equalized for the home side with his third goal in four games after 25 minutes, and strike partner Iago Aspas was unfortunate to see his shot come back off the post with two minutes remaining as both sides pushed for a winner.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
This time round, though, an unfortunate silliness sometimes creeps in, where the film risks tipping over Shakespearean-size emotions into embarrassing bathos.—
Miriam Balanescu,
IndieWire,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
And despite volatility across markets, oil prices don’t seem to be creeping back toward catastrophic levels.—
Tiana Lowe Doescher,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
-
And in some cases, going up against her has resulted in a nearly catastrophic loss in follower count.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fateful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fateful. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
