fatally

adverb

fa·​tal·​ly ˈfā-tᵊl-ē How to pronounce fatally (audio)
1
: in a way determined by fate
2
: in a manner suggesting fate or an act of fate: such as
a
: in a manner resulting in death : mortally
fatally wounded
b
: beyond repair : irrevocably
c
: in a manner resulting in ruin or evil
It is fatally easy to pass off our prejudices as our opinions.—W. F. Hambly
d
: in a manner that cannot be easily resisted
… thinks she is fatally attractive …—J. W. Krutch

Examples of fatally in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Police say the three teens had met up at a vacant industrial property in DeLand’s downtown that day for unknown reasons, and the meeting ended with Rundell fatally shooting the other two. — Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2026 The voice-over then states that Williams fatally shot himself and fell into the canyon. — Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026 The video shows the moment the carnage began, when the gunman drove up to the drive-thru payment window and fatally shot the first victim, In-N-Out employee Ashley Garibay, according to police. — Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026 He was also previously convicted of manslaughter for fatally shooting his father in 2010 in Arizona. — Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fatally

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fatally was in the 15th century

Rhymes for fatally

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Browse Nearby Words

fatalize
fatally
fatalness
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Cite this Entry

“Fatally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fatally. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on fatally

Nglish: Translation of fatally for Spanish Speakers

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