Fatally
/ˈfeɪtəli/
Definitions
2 meaningsIn a way that causes death or ruin; lethally.
/ˈfeɪtəli/
In a way that causes death or is extremely harmful.
The skier fell and was fatally injured.
💡 Simply: When something happens in a way that causes death or a really bad outcome, like a super bad accident. Imagine a video game where a move is 'fatally' flawed, so you lose.
👶 For kids: When something happens that can cause someone to die or get very, very hurt.
More Examples
The construction of the bridge was fatally flawed.
The disease spread fatally through the population.
How It's Used
"The patient was fatally wounded in the attack."
"The car accident fatally injured the driver."
"The judge ruled that the evidence presented was fatally flawed."
In a way that is so bad that it cannot be changed or corrected.
/ˈfeɪtəli/
In a way that is very bad or harmful and cannot be fixed or changed.
The negotiations were fatally flawed from the start.
💡 Simply: When something goes so wrong that there's no fixing it, like a game strategy that's so bad you can't win, or a comment that completely ruins your chances.
👶 For kids: When something goes really, really, really wrong and there's no way to make it better.
More Examples
His arguments were fatally weakened by his lack of evidence.
Their plan was fatally compromised by poor preparation.
How It's Used
"The company's strategy was fatally misguided."
"The politician's comment was fatally damaging to their campaign."
"The plot of the novel was fatally predictable."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
Idioms & expressions
fatally attract
To draw or entice with disastrous consequences.
"The allure of easy money fatally attracted many investors to the scheme."
From "fatal" (related to fate or death) + "-ly" (adverbial suffix). The word traces back to the Latin "fatalis," meaning "decreed by fate, deadly."
Used since the late 17th century, 'fatally' initially referred to causing death, later expanding to encompass anything resulting in ruin or irreversible damage.
Memory tip
Think of 'fate' – something determined and often resulting in death.
Word Origin
"decreed by fate, deadly"