mortify
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
-
to practice mortification or disciplinary austerities.
-
Pathology. to undergo mortification; become gangrened or necrosed.
verb
-
(tr) to humiliate or cause to feel shame
-
(tr) Christianity to subdue and bring under control by self-denial, disciplinary exercises, etc
-
(intr) to undergo tissue death or become gangrenous
Usage
What does mortify mean? Mortify means to humiliate or embarrass in an extreme way. You know when you do something so unbearably embarrassing that you just want to shrivel up and die? That’s what it’s like to feel mortified. Which is fitting because the word comes from a root meaning “death.”Things that are humiliating or extremely embarrassing can be described as mortifying. This feeling of humiliation or extreme embarrassment can be called mortification. Mortify can also be used in a way that relates to literal death. In medical terms, to mortify is to undergo mortification—the death of one part of the body while the rest of the body is alive. This is more technically called gangrene or necrosis. Mortify is also used (less commonly) in a religious context, in which it means to practice ascetic self-discipline with the goal of strengthening one’s will and overcoming the desire to sin. In Christianity, forms of mortification include things like fasting. In some extreme cases, especially in older times, it has included things like self-flagellation—whipping oneself. Example: Even when I do my best not to embarrass my kids, I still end up mortifying them on most occasions.
Synonym Usage
See ashamed.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has mortifiedperfect 3rd person singular
-
have mortifiedperfect
-
are mortifyingprogressive
-
mortifyingparticiple
-
is mortifyingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
am mortifyingprogressive 1st person singular
-
have been mortifyingperfect progressive
-
has been mortifyingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
mortifiessingular 3rd person
Past
-
had mortifiedperfect
-
were mortifyingprogressive plural
-
had been mortifyingperfect progressive
-
was mortifyingprogressive singular
-
mortifiedparticiple
-
mortifiedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of mortify
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English mortifien, from Middle French mortifier, from Late Latin mortificāre “to put to death,” equivalent to Latin morti- (stem of mors ) “death” + -ficāre -fy
Explanation
To mortify someone is to cause them extreme embarrassment. Your mother may not have been trying to mortify you when she showed up at your senior prom with a bunch of unicorn balloons, but she did. The root of the verb mortify is from the Latin word mors, which means “death.” To mortify something used to mean to destroy its life, but now mortify is mostly used when you feel so ashamed or embarrassed you “want to die.” To punish yourself through deprivation from food or another desire, you can mortify that compulsion, but it’s probably best to just mortify your parents by showing up at their work place with a new mohawk.
Vocabulary lists containing mortify
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Mother's Day Words: What Mothers Do
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak, Part Four
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Mortify yourself then cheerfully, and in proportion as you are prevented from doing the good you desire, do all the more ardently that which you do not desire.
From Light and Peace Instructions for devout souls to dispel their doubts and allay their fears by Quadrupani, Carlo Giuseppe
"Mortify our passions," keep our bodies under control, do bodily penance.
From Baltimore Catechism, No. 4 An Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism of Christian Doctrine by Kinkead, Thomas L.
Mortify meant to kill, then killed with embarrassment, then embarrassed.
From The Century Vocabulary Builder by Bachelor, Joseph M. (Joseph Morris)
Mortify: a chemical phrase, signifying the dissolution of quicksilver in acid.
From The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems by Purves, D. Laing
"Mortify," I need not say, is to make dead, to destroy.
From The Christian Life Its Course, Its Hindrances, And Its Helps by Arnold, Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
