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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Recent Examples of fatalistic
Most people have a very fatalistic view of their age.
—
Erin Allday, San Francisco Chronicle, 22 Feb. 2026
Known for his spare, unforgiving style and darkly comic fatalistic sensibility, along with his penchant for leather jackets, lots of smoking and a deadpan sense of humor, Tarr was a quintessential arthouse filmmaker.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
There was this kind of fatalistic view that there was not that much that could be done.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 18 Dec. 2025
Navarro is an expert at navigating the surreal, fatalistic way the captain thinks of herself.
—Emma Alpern, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
Dreaming was a new pastime in a country long considered fatalistic.
—Snigdha Poonam, The Dial, 28 Oct. 2025
That was like a very sort of fatalistic view.
—Outside Online, 1 Oct. 2025
Back on Capitol Hill, the mood is dour and fatalistic.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Herzog resists making a hero out of Messner, who can seem subject to a darkly fatalistic drive.
—Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 20 Sep. 2025
Erin Allday, San Francisco Chronicle, 22 Feb. 2026
Known for his spare, unforgiving style and darkly comic fatalistic sensibility, along with his penchant for leather jackets, lots of smoking and a deadpan sense of humor, Tarr was a quintessential arthouse filmmaker.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
There was this kind of fatalistic view that there was not that much that could be done.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 18 Dec. 2025
Navarro is an expert at navigating the surreal, fatalistic way the captain thinks of herself.
—Emma Alpern, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
Dreaming was a new pastime in a country long considered fatalistic.
—Snigdha Poonam, The Dial, 28 Oct. 2025
That was like a very sort of fatalistic view.
—Outside Online, 1 Oct. 2025
Back on Capitol Hill, the mood is dour and fatalistic.
—Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Herzog resists making a hero out of Messner, who can seem subject to a darkly fatalistic drive.
—Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 20 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fatalistic
Adjective
-
Unfortunately, they have been taught to evaluate online communications with that cynical approach.—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
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There's far more acceptance for shows trying to be different than ever before, whether the programme is cynical or hopeful in nature.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Court records and large-scale studies indicate that elite colleges’ race-aware and holistic admissions systems have operated as a negative factor for Asian American applicants, contributing to lower admission/attendance odds than similarly qualified white applicants.—
David Blobaum,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
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Apple’s latest iPhone software update is drawing attention—some of which is negative—not just for its incremental upgrades, but also for a shift in how users interact with one of its core apps.—
Thomas Westerholm,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fatalistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fatalistic. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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