deadly, mortal, fatal, lethal mean causing or capable of causing death. deadly applies to an established or very likely cause of death. mortal implies that death has occurred or is inevitable. fatal stresses the inevitability of what has in fact resulted in death or destruction.
Fatal, deadly, lethal, mortal apply to something that has caused or is capable of causing death. Fatal may refer to either the future or the past; in either case, it emphasizes inevitability and the inescapable—the disastrous, whether death or dire misfortune: The accident was fatal.
Definition of fatal adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
Fatal describes conditions, circumstances, or events that have already caused death or are virtually certain to do so in the future: a fatal accident; a fatal illness.
fatal (comparative more fatal, superlative most fatal) She mixed furniture with the same fatal profligacy as she mixed drinks, and this outrageous contact between things which were intended by Nature to be kept poles apart gave her an inexpressible thrill.
Fatal describes conditions, circumstances, or events that have already caused death or are virtually certain to do so in the future: a fatal accident; a fatal illness.
A fatal action has very undesirable effects. She knew it was fatal to try to argue with Stephen. He made the fatal mistake of compromising early. It would deal a fatal blow to his fading chances of success.
