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fatal

fah-TAHL/faˈtal/

terrible, awful

Also: dreadful, disastrous
Adjectivem/f (invariable form)A2informal
A piece of toast that has been completely blackened and burnt, sitting alone on a white plate.

📝 In Action

La comida en ese restaurante era fatal, no pudimos terminarla.

A2

The food at that restaurant was terrible; we couldn't finish it.

Mi entrevista de trabajo fue fatal. No creo que me llamen.

B1

My job interview went terribly (was awful). I don't think they'll call me.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • estar fatal – to be awful/terrible
  • un día fatal – an awful day

fatal, deadly

Also: fateful
Adjectivem/f (invariable form)B2formal
A close-up of a large, poisonous-looking mushroom with a red cap and white spots growing in the grass.

📝 In Action

El accidente de coche fue fatal para los dos conductores.

B2

The car accident was fatal for both drivers.

Ese fue un encuentro fatal que cambió el curso de la historia.

C1

That was a fateful encounter that changed the course of history.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • herida fatal – fatal wound
  • enfermedad fatal – fatal illness

terribly, awfully

Also: very badly
AdverbN/AB1neutral/informal
A white sheet of paper covered in chaotic, overlapping red crayon scribbles, showing a failed attempt at drawing.

📝 In Action

Canto fatal, pero me encanta la música.

B1

I sing terribly, but I love music.

¿Cómo te fue en el viaje? — Me fue fatal.

B1

How did your trip go? — It went awfully.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • mal (badly)
  • nefastamente (disastrously)

Antonyms

  • bien (well)
  • magníficamente (magnificently)

Common Collocations

  • salir fatal – to turn out terribly
  • ir fatal – to go badly

Translate to Spanish

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: fatal

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'fatal' in its most common, informal Spanish meaning?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
fatalidad(fatality, bad luck) — Noun
fatalismo(fatalism) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

The word comes from the Latin term 'fatalis,' which means 'ordained by fate' or 'relating to destiny' (*fatum*). This is why the serious meaning ('deadly') is the original one, but over time, it became a strong informal way to say 'awful.'

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: fatalFrench: fatal

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'fatal' change depending on if I'm talking about one thing or many things?

No. 'Fatal' is special because it is invariable. It stays 'fatal' whether you are talking about 'una película fatal' (one awful movie) or 'dos películas fatal' (two awful movies). The word itself never adds an 's'.

How do I know if 'fatal' means 'deadly' or 'terrible'?

Context is key. If you are talking about an accident, a serious illness, or a major, life-changing mistake, it means 'deadly' or 'fateful.' If you are talking about food, a movie, or a bad day, it means 'terrible' or 'awful.' The informal meaning is much more common.