fatally

adverb

fa·​tal·​ly ˈfā-tᵊl-ē How to pronounce fatally (audio)
1
: in a way determined by fate
2
: in a manner suggesting fate or an act of fate: such as
a
: in a manner resulting in death : mortally
fatally wounded
b
: beyond repair : irrevocably
c
: in a manner resulting in ruin or evil
It is fatally easy to pass off our prejudices as our opinions.W. F. Hambly
d
: in a manner that cannot be easily resisted
… thinks she is fatally attractive …J. W. Krutch

Examples of fatally in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Joshua Jahn, 29, killed a detainee, injured two others and fatally shot himself. Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026 The children's cousin, 11-year-old Sariahh Snow, was also fatally shot. Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026 He was fatally shot during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University in Orem. Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2026 Once inside the vacant home, Michael was fatally shot multiple times, according to the Kentucky State Police. Kc Baker, PEOPLE, 28 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fatally

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fatally was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fatally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fatally. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on fatally

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster