mortal

1 of 3

adjective

mor·​tal ˈmȯr-tᵊl How to pronounce mortal (audio)
1
: causing or having caused death : fatal
a mortal injury
2
a
: subject to death
mortal man
Every living creature is mortal.
b
: possible, conceivable
have done every mortal thing
c
: deadly sense 3
waited three mortal hours
3
: marked by unrelenting hostility
a mortal enemy
4
: marked by great intensity or severity
mortal fear
5
: human
mortal limits
a nobody with an all too mortal longing to be a somebodyTime
6
: of, relating to, or connected with death
mortal agony

mortal

2 of 3

adverb

chiefly dialectal

mortal

3 of 3

noun

: a human being
Choose the Right Synonym for mortal

deadly, mortal, fatal, lethal mean causing or capable of causing death.

deadly applies to an established or very likely cause of death.

a deadly disease

mortal implies that death has occurred or is inevitable.

a mortal wound

fatal stresses the inevitability of what has in fact resulted in death or destruction.

fatal consequences

lethal applies to something that is bound to cause death or exists for the destruction of life.

lethal gas

Examples of mortal in a Sentence

Adjective Every living creature is mortal. He suffered a mortal wound in the battle. Noun stories about gods interfering in the lives of mortals the troubles that come to ordinary mortals
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
However, when Victor accidentally resurrects a dead Victoria-era woman named Emily (Helena Bonham Carter), he's transported to the much more lively Land of the Dead — ultimately forcing him to choose between his mortal fiancée and his new corpse bride. Keith Langston, People.com, 26 Oct. 2024 For mere mortal bassists, that was not even a distant possibility, let alone a practical thought. Eli Amdur, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024 Join 5 others in the comments View Comments One fresco likely portrays the Judgement of Paris, though it has been damaged by previous excavations, and another shows Venus, the goddess of love, and Adonis, her mortal lover. Issy Ronald, CNN, 25 Oct. 2024 The multi-cam sitcom depicts a grown-up, now mortal Justin, with a wife and two sons on Staten Island instead of Manhattan. Julia MacCary, Variety, 21 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mortal 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mortal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Adverb

Middle English, from Anglo-French mortel, mortal, from Latin mortalis, from mort-, mors death — more at murder

Noun

see human entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mortal was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near mortal

Cite this Entry

“Mortal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mortal. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

mortal

1 of 2 adjective
mor·​tal ˈmȯrt-ᵊl How to pronounce mortal (audio)
1
: capable of causing death
a mortal wound
2
: certain to die
animals are mortal
3
: extremely unfriendly
a mortal enemy
4
: very great or severe
in mortal fear
5
: human entry 1 sense 1
mortal limitations
6
: of, relating to, or connected with death
mortal agony
mortally
-ᵊl-ē
adverb

mortal

2 of 2 noun
: a human being

Medical Definition

mortal

adjective
mor·​tal ˈmȯrt-ᵊl How to pronounce mortal (audio)
1
: having caused or being about to cause death : fatal
a mortal injury
2
: of, relating to, or connected with death
mortal agony

More from Merriam-Webster on mortal

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