mortal

[mawr-tl]

adjective

1. subject to death; having a transitory life.

   all mortal creatures.

2. of or relating to human beings as subject to death; human.

   this mortal life.

3. belonging to this world.

4. deadly or implacable; relentless.

   a mortal enemy.

5. severe, dire, grievous, or bitter.

   in mortal fear.

6. causing or liable to cause death; fatal.

   a mortal wound.

7. to the death.

   mortal combat.

8. of or relating to death.

   the mortal hour.

9. involving spiritual death (venial ).

   mortal sin.

10. long and wearisome.

11. extreme; very great.

    in a mortal hurry.

12. conceivable; possible.

    of no mortal value to the owners.

noun

1. a human being.

2. the condition of being subject to death.

mortal

/ ˈmɔːtəl /

adjective

1. (of living beings, esp human beings) subject to death

2. of or involving life or the world

3. ending in or causing death; fatal

   a mortal blow

4. deadly or unrelenting

   a mortal enemy

5. of or like the fear of death; dire

   mortal terror

6. great or very intense

   mortal pain

7. possible

   there was no mortal reason to go

8. slang,  long and tedious

   for three mortal hours

noun

1. a mortal being

2. informal,  a person

   a mean mortal

Other Word Forms

• mortally adverb
• nonmortal adjective
• nonmortally adverb
• postmortal adjective
• postmortally adverb
• premortal adjective
• premortally adverb
• unmortal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of mortal¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, Middle French mortal, mortel, from Latin mortālis, equivalent to mort- (stem of mors ) “death” + -ālis -al ¹; ambrosia ( def. ); murder ( def. ); murther ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of mortal¹

C14: from Latin mortālis, from mors death

Synonym Study

See fatal.

Example Sentences

Mr. Osman’s irresistible characters are resolute in old age, even in the face of mortal danger.

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To a mere mortal CEO, this would be a recipe for disaster, but for Ellison, it’s business as usual.

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That celebrated coup de théâtre has been evoked but not staged with any possibility of mortal threat.

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It also recalls, without feeling derivative, the classic American dramas—Miller’s and others—in which fathers and sons, despite their best efforts to avoid it, turn into mortal enemies.

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It is up to Ben and a few other brave mortals to defeat Barlow and end his evil plague.

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Related Words

• dire 
• fatal 
• grievous 
• grim 
• lethal 
• malignant 
• terrible