Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective fateful differ from other similar words?

The words ominous and portentous are common synonyms of fateful. While all three words mean "having a menacing or threatening aspect," fateful suggests being of momentous or decisive importance.

the fateful conference that led to war

Where would ominous be a reasonable alternative to fateful?

Although the words ominous and fateful have much in common, ominous implies having a menacing, alarming character foreshadowing evil or disaster.

ominous rumblings from the volcano

When is it sensible to use portentous instead of fateful?

While the synonyms portentous and fateful are close in meaning, portentous suggests being frighteningly big or impressive but now seldom definitely connotes forewarning of calamity.

an eerie and portentous stillness

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 One fateful night, her performance was attended by jazz pianist Les McCann, who immediately brought Flack to the attention of Atlantic Records. Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 24 Feb. 2025 As the competition approaches its final stages, thoughts of those whose lives were lost on that fateful Corsican afternoon will not be far away. Tom Williams, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025 The Haymarket anarchists in Chicago in the eighteen-nineties may not all have been directly responsible for the bombs that killed seven policemen on a fateful day, but at least one of them had certainly built the bombs. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025 In the original film, an American student named Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and a French student named Céline (Julie Delpy) meet on a train and spend one fateful night wandering around the streets of Vienna until his flight home the next morning. Aislyn Greene, AFAR Media, 19 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fateful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fateful
Adjective
  • Victor Kristiansen, January 2023 Similar to Faes, Kristiansen only knows a relegation dogfight in the Premier League after joining midway through the disastrous 2022-23 season.
    Rob Tanner, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
  • Three campaigns stand out — one weirdly funny, one weirdly disastrous and one weirdly endearing.
    Steven Hyden, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The sheriff's office said Tuesday that the company that provides natural gas service for the home made no significant findings after looking for gas leaks and carbon monoxide, the colorless, odorless gas that can be fatal by depriving people from getting enough oxygen.
    Alex Sundby, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2025
  • However, this condition raises your risk of esophageal cancer, which can be fatal.
    Mark Gurarie, Health, 7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • On Monday evening, within hours of learning of the directive, some state workers called the order stupid and unfortunate.
    William Melhado, Sacramento Bee, 5 Mar. 2025
  • Christie suffered from acute seasickness, unfortunate considering her trips to each continent were by ship.
    Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fateful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fateful. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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