Word
fatal
Phoneticsfa·tal, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈfeɪtəɫ/
UK/fˈeɪtəl/
Definitions
01causing death
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. causing someone to die.
adj. causing or capable of causing death; lethal.
日本語:致命的な※
“The driver was lucky to survive such a fatal accident on the highway.”
“The patient had contracted a fatal dose of the toxin, leaving the medical team with very few options for intervention.”
Usage
Commonly collocates with 'accident', 'blow', 'dose', or 'illness'.
Antonyms
02leading to failure
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. causing something to fail completely or have a very bad result.
adj. leading to failure, disaster, or ruin; describing a mistake that cannot be corrected.
日本語:致命的※
“Forgetting to check the contract was a fatal mistake for the small company.”
“The general's inability to secure the supply lines proved to be a fatal flaw in his otherwise brilliant strategy.”
Usage
Often used with abstract nouns like 'flaw', 'error', or 'mistake'.
Synonyms
03software crash
C1 · Advanced Computing Technical
adj. describing a computer error that is so bad the program has to stop immediately.
adj. denoting a processing error that results in the immediate termination of a program or operating system.
日本語:致命的※
“The system crashed after a fatal error occurred during the update.”
“The application encountered a fatal exception when it attempted to access a restricted memory address, forcing an immediate shutdown.”
Usage
Almost exclusively used in the phrase 'fatal error' or 'fatal exception'.
04destined
C2 · Proficiency Archaic · Literary
adj. decided by fate or destiny.
adj. proceeding from or appointed by fate; inevitable.
“He felt that this fatal meeting had been planned by the stars.”
“The hero marched toward his fatal encounter with the dragon, resigned to the destiny the oracles had foretold.”
Teaching tip
This sense is rare in modern speech; students will mostly encounter it in older literature or poetry.
Synonyms
05a death
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Formal
n. an event or accident that results in a death.
n. an occurrence or accident resulting in death; a fatality.
“The police reported that there were no fatals in the multi-car crash.”
“While the wreckage was extensive, emergency responders were relieved to confirm there were no fatals at the scene.”
Teaching tip
Using 'fatal' as a noun is much less common than using 'fatality'; it is often found in police or emergency service jargon.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “fatal” in context.
Verb
01. deliver a fatal blow
“The new competitor's aggressive pricing delivered a fatal blow to the small family business.”
verb + adj + noun
02. make a fatal mistake
“The commander made a fatal mistake by underestimating the enemy's strength.”
verb + adj + noun
03. prove fatal
“A delay of even a few minutes in treatment can prove fatal for the patient.”
verb + adj
Adjective
04. fatal accident
“Police are investigating a fatal accident that occurred on the motorway late last night.”
adj + noun
05. fatal flaw
“The protagonist's inability to trust others proved to be his fatal flaw.”
adj + noun
06. fatal to the project
“The sudden withdrawal of government funding was fatal to the project's success.”
adj + prep
07. potentially fatal
“Even a small dose of this chemical can be potentially fatal if ingested.”
adv + adj
Noun
08. fatal error
“The system crashed after encountering a fatal error during the installation process.”
adj + noun
09. fatal shooting
Real-World Examples
“Federal agents hold a person down, two weeks after the fatal ICE shooting of Renee Nicole Good on 7 January during an immigration raid.” “The disease it causes is severe and often fatal.” “The manufacturer's corporate culture has, however, come under fire thanks to a series of issues involving the smaller 737 Max - including two fatal crashes.” “There have been around 1,000 confirmed human cases reported to the World Health Organization since 2003 and nearly half of those proved fatal.” Etymology
From Middle French fatal, from Latin fātālis (“fatal”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/fatal
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0