fatally

/ˈfeɪtəli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfeɪtəli/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfā-tᵊl-ē/ (ame, mw)

fatally — adverb

1. happening in a way that results in someone's death — used when describing injuri

1.副詞B2
釋義

happening in a way that results in someone's death — used when describing injuries, accidents, illnesses, or attacks that end a person's life.

例句

Three passengers were fatally injured when the tour bus overturned in Nantou County.

fatally injured — common collocation for accident victims

Dr. Okafor confirmed that the snake venom had fatally poisoned the hiker within minutes.

fatally + past participle (poisoned) — passive pattern

同義詞
  • mortally

    more literary or formal; 'mortally wounded' implies certain death from an injury

  • lethally

    focuses on the deadly nature of the weapon, poison, or substance itself

文法句型

fatally + past participle (e.g. fatally wounded)

fatally + adjective (e.g. fatally ill)

用法筆記

Commonly used with past participles of verbs of harm (wounded, injured, poisoned, shot). Often appears in news reports about accidents, violent incidents, and medical emergencies.

常見錯誤

❌The disease fatally killed him.
✅The disease proved fatal for him.
💡'fatally kill' is redundant; use 'fatal' as an adjective instead.
❌He was fatally.
✅He was fatally injured.
💡'fatally' needs a verb or adjective to modify; it is not used alone.

2. in a way that causes severe damage, major problems, or complete failure — used f

2.副詞B2
釋義

in a way that causes severe damage, major problems, or complete failure — used for plans, relationships, arguments, careers, and systems that fall apart.

例句

The construction project was fatally delayed when the main contractor went bankrupt.

fatally + past participle (delayed) — passive construction for projects

One careless remark during the debate fatally damaged the politician's reputation.

同義詞
  • irreparably

    emphasises that the damage cannot be fixed; more formal

  • disastrously

    focuses on the large-scale negative outcome; used for events and decisions

  • fatally (comparison within word)

    this same adverb also has a literal death sense; context determines which meaning is intended

文法句型

fatally + past participle (e.g. fatally flawed)

fatally + adjective (e.g. fatally weak)

用法筆記

Unlike sense 1, this sense does NOT refer to physical death. It appears in discussions of business deals, political campaigns, creative works, and personal relationships. The subject is typically an abstract entity (plan, reputation, argument, career).

常見錯誤

❌We fatally lost the game.
✅A single mistake fatally damaged our chances of winning the game.
💡'fatally lost' is unnatural; use the adverb before a verb of harm or damage.
❌The plan was fatally.
✅The plan was fatally flawed.
💡'fatally' cannot stand alone; it requires a past participle or adjective.