fatal

adjective fah-TAHL Less Common

Also means

terrible, awful

Usage Note

Fatal in colloquial Spanish has broadened from 'deadly/fatal' to simply 'terrible' or 'awful' — me fue fatal (it went terribly for me) is very common. In formal or journalistic registers the primary meaning remains 'causing death'. This colloquial extension makes it a partial false friend: English 'fatal' is almost always 'causing death', whereas Spanish fatal can be a mild intensifier meaning 'very bad'.

Examples

"El examen me salió fatal."

Natural Translation

The exam went terribly for me.

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