mortify

verb

mor·​ti·​fy ˈmȯr-tə-ˌfī 

mortified; mortifying

transitive verb

1

: to subject to severe and vexing embarrassment : shame

was no longer mortified by comparisons between her sisters' beauty and her own

—Jane Austen

2

: to subdue or deaden (the body, bodily appetites, etc.) especially by abstinence or self-inflicted pain or discomfort

mortified his body for spiritual purification

3

obsolete : to destroy the strength, vitality, or functioning of

intransitive verb

1

: to practice mortification

2

: to become necrotic or gangrenous

treated his wound so that it would not mortify

Did you know?

The Deadly History of Mortify

Mortify once actually meant "put to death", but no longer. Its "deaden" sense is most familiar to us in the phrase "mortifying the flesh", which refers to a custom once followed by devout Christians, who would starve themselves, deprive themselves of every comfort, and even whip themselves in order to subdue their bodily desires and punish themselves for their sins. But the most common use of mortify today is the "humiliate" sense; its connection with death is still apparent when we speak of "dying of embarrassment".

Synonyms

• abash
• confound
• confuse
• discomfit
• disconcert
• discountenance
• embarrass
• faze
• fluster
• nonplus
• rattle

Examples of mortify in a Sentence

It mortified me to have to admit that I'd never actually read the book.

was mortified by her children's atrocious manners

Recent Examples on the Web

There’s an over-the-top and overdressed fish out of water (me), a raffish Englishmen homesick for Great Britain (my husband Aidan, who will be mortified to read any of this), and an ensemble of quirky characters. —Mosha Lundström Halbert, Vogue, 20 Dec. 2024

While some kids don’t really mind, others may be totally mortified. —​wendy Wisner, Parents, 5 Dec. 2024

This time, that mortifying thing is listening to Lila, who tells her that one of Eli’s exes was a super-freak in bed, so Kimberly is gonna have to step up her game. —Christina Grace Tucker, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2024

The White Sox lead the city in mortifying losses, but the Cubs are more disappointing. —Jon Greenberg, The Athletic, 8 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English mortifien, from Anglo-French mortifier, from Late Latin mortificare, from Latin mort-, mors

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Kids Definition

mortify

verb

mor·​ti·​fy ˈmȯrt-ə-ˌfī 

mortified; mortifying

1

: to attempt to reduce or control bodily needs and desires through punishment and self-denial

2

: to embarrass greatly : humiliate

mortification

ˌmȯrt-ə-fə-ˈkā-shən

noun

Medical Definition

mortify

intransitive verb

mor·​ti·​fy ˈmȯrt-ə-ˌfī 

mortified; mortifying

: to become necrotic or gangrenous