mortal

American  

[mawr-tl] / ˈmɔr 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.

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noun

1. a human being.

2. the condition of being subject to death.

mortal British  

/ 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

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noun

1. a mortal being

2. informal a person

   a mean mortal

Related Words

See fatal.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of mortal

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. )

Explanation

You are a mortal because you are mortal. This means that you are an individual destined to die because you are susceptible to death. The word mortal has one of the most ancient genealogies of any word in English or any other language. It is related to English words like "murder" and "mortuary," and to the French, Italian, Spanish, and Russian words for "death." Something that can kill you can also be described as mortal. If you're in mortal danger, you're in a deadly situation. Action heroes often think they are dealing their enemy a mortal blow, but sometimes the enemy manages to come back to life. People are called mortals because at some point, they die.

Example Sentences

That would be considered a mortal sin by the vast majority of football fandom.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

The 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence knew their expression of character placed them at mortal risk.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

You have to strain to see him, way up there, high above this mortal coil.

From Slate • Feb. 16, 2026

Then on Saturday night, in his first time skating over the Olympic rings, the 21-year-old Malinin had proven to be mortal.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026

As the night wore on, and the caravan settled into a nervous silence, my trembling changed from mortal fear to bitter cold.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

Related Words

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