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
And that’s when, for the first time, Bain was asked about the fateful accident.
—
Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Gramm also discusses his roots in the band Black Sheep and getting dropped by its record label before receiving a fateful call from Mick Jones to join Foreigner, which went on to massive mainstream success around the globe.
—Spin Staff, SPIN, 21 Apr. 2026
Some analysts suggest that 2027 is the fateful year.
—Andy Browne, semafor.com, 14 Apr. 2026
In Creggers’ Resident Evil, Abrams plays Bryan, a medical courier who unwittingly finds himself in a nonstop race for survival as one fateful, horrifying night collapses around him in chaos.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fateful
Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Gramm also discusses his roots in the band Black Sheep and getting dropped by its record label before receiving a fateful call from Mick Jones to join Foreigner, which went on to massive mainstream success around the globe.
—Spin Staff, SPIN, 21 Apr. 2026
Some analysts suggest that 2027 is the fateful year.
—Andy Browne, semafor.com, 14 Apr. 2026
In Creggers’ Resident Evil, Abrams plays Bryan, a medical courier who unwittingly finds himself in a nonstop race for survival as one fateful, horrifying night collapses around him in chaos.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fateful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fateful
Adjective
-
After last year’s disastrous Eaton fire, Southern California Edison executives vowed to be transparent about what caused the inferno that killed at least 19 people and left thousands of families homeless in Altadena.—
Melody Petersen,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Sturm then gave Swayman the mercy pull, which frankly could have happened after the disastrous first.—
Stephen Conroy,
Hartford Courant,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Homicide detectives are investigating the fatal shootings of three adults in Baldwin Park last week — two of whom were a married couple, officials said, who were being mourned by their college-age children.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Police have arrested a man on murder and firearm charges in connection with a fatal shooting in Stratford earlier this month.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Even before the president set off this unfortunate round of gerrymandering, Democratic states such as New York and Illinois were already heavily gerrymandered.—
Colin Pascal,
Baltimore Sun,
25 Apr. 2026
-
He’s beaten by thugs with a crowbar for an unfortunate outburst, exploited by neighbors in the council estate and arrested, all because people don’t understand Tourette syndrome.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Despite heroic acts of survival, 25 girls and two counselors died in the catastrophic flooding, as did camp co-owner Dick Eastland.—
Brian Brant,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
-
This year, several Western states had very dry to record-dry winters, setting them up for a potentially catastrophic wildfire season.—
Austin Amestoy,
NPR,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fateful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fateful. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
