fateful

IPA/ˈfeɪtfl/
KK[fˈetfəl]IPA/ˈfeɪtfl/

fateful — adjective

  • fatefulpositive
  • more fatefulcomparative
  • most fatefulsuperlative

1. marking a point in time when an event or choice produces a major change in the c

1.形容詞B2
釋義

marking a point in time when an event or choice produces a major change in the course of things, usually leading to a negative result.

例句

The colonel's fateful order to advance into the valley changed the course of the war.

fateful + noun (order/decision)

Noa still remembers the fateful morning when the earthquake destroyed her village.

同義詞
  • decisive

    focuses on the power to settle an issue; less emotional than fateful

  • momentous

    emphasises great importance without the negative outcome implied by fateful

  • critical

    highlights urgency and danger; broader in use than fateful

  • pivotal

    suggests a central role in how events develop; neutral in tone

反義詞

文法句型

fateful + noun

be + fateful

用法筆記

Often used before nouns like day, night, moment, decision, meeting, or choice to signal that the event had major consequences.

常見錯誤

❌The weather forecast was fateful for our picnic.
✅The weather forecast was important for our picnic.
💡'fateful' is too strong for everyday situations; use it only for events with truly major consequences.
❌She made a fateful cake for the party.
✅She made a terrible cake for the party.
💡'fateful' does not mean 'very bad'; it means 'marking a decisive turning point.'

2. carries a sense that something dangerous or unpleasant is about to happen, like

2.形容詞C1
釋義

carries a sense that something dangerous or unpleasant is about to happen, like a warning sign or an uneasy feeling.

例句

A fateful silence fell over the room when the manager entered with a grim face.

fateful + noun describing atmosphere

Those fateful words — 'we need to talk about your future here' — made Layla's hands tremble.

同義詞
  • ominous

    more direct and common; fateful adds a sense of destiny

  • sinister

    suggests active evil intent rather than prophetic warning

  • portentous

    formal and literary; similar prophetic quality

反義詞

文法句型

fateful + noun

be + fateful

用法筆記

Commonly pairs with nouns that describe communication or atmosphere: words, silence, warning, look, sign, omen.

常見錯誤

❌I had a fateful feeling about the exam.
✅I had a bad feeling about the exam.
💡'fateful' implies a serious, almost prophetic warning, not everyday nervousness.

3. happening according to a plan set by destiny or a higher power, rather than by l

3.形容詞C1
釋義

happening according to a plan set by destiny or a higher power, rather than by luck or chance.

例句

Nikhil felt their meeting on the overnight train to Mumbai was fateful.

predicative: be + fateful

Beatrix saw the faded photo as a fateful clue that her journey was planned before birth.

同義詞
  • predestined

    more explicitly religious or theological in tone

  • preordained

    formal, often used in philosophical contexts

  • ineluctable

    very formal; stresses that something cannot be escaped

反義詞
  • random

    happening by chance, without plan or purpose

  • accidental

    occurring without deliberate design

文法句型

fateful + noun

be + fateful

用法筆記

This sense is less common in everyday speech and appears more often in literature, mythology, and discussions of destiny.