fatally
Americanadverb
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in a manner leading to death or disaster.
He was injured fatally in the accident.
-
by a decree of fate or destiny; by inevitable predetermination.
adverb
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resulting in death or disaster
fatally wounded in battle
-
as decreed by fate; inevitably
Etymology
Origin of fatally
late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; fatal, -ly
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Helen and Lee said it was a "fatally flawed position" to rely on people knowing signs and symptoms, adding the "onus shouldn't be on bereaved parents" to raise awareness about MenB.
From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026
He also shows a surprising—and fatally unwise—humility when declining calls to become the Roman emperor, citing his age: “A better head her glorious body fits than his that shakes for age and feebleness.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
In March, two people were fatally bitten by rattlesnakes in Southern California alone, a 46-year-old woman from Ventura County and a 25-year-old man in Orange County.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
He was wrong, fatally so for himself and maybe yet for the regime.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 15, 2026
In just seven years, the woolly adelgid has fatally damaged more than 90 percent of the park’s hemlocks.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
