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
W. L. Shirer
b
3
: controlled by fate : foreordained
fatefulness
noun
Synonyms
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
Lewis asked the justices to reverse the 9th Circuit’s judgment.
4 fateful hours: The night Preston Lord crossed paths with the 'Gilbert Goons' Hundreds of Arizona schools made breakfast and lunch free for all students.
—The Arizona Republic, 18 Apr. 2024
Todd and Julie Chrisley's oral arguments are fast approaching, and their daughter Savannah Chrisley is breaking down her thoughts leading up to the fateful moment.
—Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 17 Apr. 2024
Following that fateful Miami game, in September 2023 Kim was front and center at Beckham's Paris Fashion Week show, where her younger sister Kendall Jenner walked the runway.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 17 Apr. 2024
One year after he was shot on the front porch of a Kansas City home, Ralph Yarl is hanging onto his hope for justice, and still processing how that fateful day changed his life.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2024
Of course, his decision to then make off with the now-unattended briefcase full of cash would prove to be fateful.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Apr. 2024
Over a breakfast interview last month, Lewis delivered a lively, solo re-enactment of that fateful talk with Torres.
—Dave Itzkoff, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2024
The most fateful encounter comes early on, when a wealthy New Yorker hires Ripley to travel to Italy to lure his playboy son, an aspiring painter named Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn), to come back home.
—Brian Lowry, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
Putin likes to rationalize his fateful choices by looking to historical analogies.
—Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 9 Apr. 2024
The Arizona Republic, 18 Apr. 2024
Todd and Julie Chrisley's oral arguments are fast approaching, and their daughter Savannah Chrisley is breaking down her thoughts leading up to the fateful moment.
—Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 17 Apr. 2024
Following that fateful Miami game, in September 2023 Kim was front and center at Beckham's Paris Fashion Week show, where her younger sister Kendall Jenner walked the runway.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 17 Apr. 2024
One year after he was shot on the front porch of a Kansas City home, Ralph Yarl is hanging onto his hope for justice, and still processing how that fateful day changed his life.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 13 Apr. 2024
Of course, his decision to then make off with the now-unattended briefcase full of cash would prove to be fateful.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Apr. 2024
Over a breakfast interview last month, Lewis delivered a lively, solo re-enactment of that fateful talk with Torres.
—Dave Itzkoff, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2024
The most fateful encounter comes early on, when a wealthy New Yorker hires Ripley to travel to Italy to lure his playboy son, an aspiring painter named Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn), to come back home.
—Brian Lowry, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
Putin likes to rationalize his fateful choices by looking to historical analogies.
—Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 9 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fateful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Fateful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fateful. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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