Meaning & use

fatal

adjective·Everyday

Causing death, or leading to disastrous and irreversible consequences.

See it in a sentence

The crash proved fatal for two of the passengers in the front seat.

Ignoring the warning signs turned out to be a fatal mistake for the company.

A note on using this word

Fatal can describe literal death, as in a fatal accident, or figurative ruin, as in a fatal flaw in a plan.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

harmlesssurvivable

Make it your own

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