FATALISTIC Synonyms: 88 Similar and Opposite Words

fatalistic

adjective

Definition of fatalistic

as in cynical

having or showing a belief that the future is determined and cannot be changed His fatalistic outlook resulted in a lack of motivation to pursue a career.

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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.

Recent Examples of fatalistic But Still Coming Down isn’t a fatalistic album as a whole, just a pragmatic one. — Shaad D’souza, Pitchfork, 27 Aug. 2026 The film follows Niaz (Bakhtadze), a once-famous star of Georgian cinema who embarks on a bizarre and fatalistic odyssey of self-transformation, after an unsettling audition with a young female director looking to cast him in a minor part. — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026 With its fourth chapter, Reacher goes full neo-noir, embracing the genre’s fatalistic, gloomy approach while staying true to its action roots. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 11 Aug. 2026 The mystery character, played by Sadie Sink, is also dealing with her own demons of loss and fatalistic desperation. — Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026 But her grandfather Andrew Viterbi had a very different perspective, somewhere between fatalistic and hopeful. — Felicia Feaster, AJC.com, 27 July 2026 There’s another, less fatalistic response to both the Balogun red card reversal and the economic malaise. — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 7 July 2026 By contrast, Whitehead was fatalistic. — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 22 June 2026 Many, though, are fearful about what is to come at the World Cup — and fatalistic about the future. — Jack Lang, New York Times, 11 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fatalistic

Adjective

And his cynical dealings in Washington foreshadowed a toxification of US politics that now runs rampant.

— Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
The cynical explanation is that the Treasury Secretary is playing politics.

— John Cassidy, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of cynical

Adjective

And as the backlash to generative AI continues to grow, especially in creative fields, those attempts are bringing in far more negative than positive attention.

— Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 3 Sep. 2026
At least twice each fiscal year, school boards review updated financial projections and classify their districts’ fiscal health as positive, qualified or negative, after which county superintendents review each certification and may downgrade it.

— Chaewon Chung, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of negative

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“Fatalistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fatalistic. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of fatalistic

adjective

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