Word
fatal
Meanings
Causing death; resulting in death.
Causing complete failure or a very serious negative outcome; decisive in a bad way.
Definition
Causing death or leading to failure in a way that cannot be avoided.
Fatal describes something that causes death or results in a death. It can also refer to a mistake or weakness that leads to complete failure or a very serious negative outcome. In both uses, it suggests an effect that is decisive and irreversible. The word is often used in formal reporting and careful writing.
Examples
- The investigators concluded that a fatal injury occurred within minutes of the impact.
- I realized too late that my fatal assumption was that everyone had the same data.
- She feared a fatal delay if the team kept revising the plan instead of acting.
- They described the design flaw as fatal to the entire project’s safety case.
Common mistake
Learners sometimes use "fatal" to mean merely "very bad" (e.g., "a fatal movie"), but it usually means death-related or decisively ruinous.
More at C1 level
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- xenophobia Xenophobia is a strong dislike or fear of people from other countries or cultures.
- genocide Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular group in order to …
- conundrum A conundrum is a confusing and difficult problem to solve.
- pretentious Trying to seem more important, intelligent, or cultured than you really are.
More adjectives
- agnostic An agnostic is someone who does not claim to know whether God exists.
- pragmatic Pragmatic means focused on practical results rather than ideals or theories.
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- cynical Cynical describes believing that people are mainly motivated by self-interest and not sincere.
- apathetic Apathetic means showing little or no interest, concern, or enthusiasm.