mortal

B2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈmɔɹ.təl/ UK /ˈmɔː.təl/ See IPA manual

Freq #5272

Meanings

1

adj
Certain to die one day; not able to live forever.

All living things are mortal and must one day die.
2

adj
Causing or likely to cause death; deadly.

He suffered a mortal wound in the battle and died soon after.
3

adj
Belonging to ordinary human beings rather than gods or supernatural powers.

No mortal person could survive such a fall.
4

adj
Continuing right up to death; lasting until someone dies.

The two families were mortal enemies for generations.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 adj · causing or likely to cause... fatal lethal

Opposites

everlasting immortal natal venial vital

Word family

Forms mortals

Derived forms amortalmortalinmortalisemortalismmortalistmortalitymortalizemortallymortalnessnonmortalperimortalpostmortal

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

mortal enemy
an enemy who wishes to destroy or kill someone

Adjective + noun

Simplified etymology

Mortal ultimately derives from the ancient root represented by Latin mors “death.” This root is also shared by murder and words associated with mortuary.

Etymology

From Middle English mortal, mortel, from Old French mortal, and their source Latin mortālis, from mors (“death”). In this sense, displaced native deadly, from Old English dēadlīċ.

*mer- Proto-Indo-European mortal Middle English mortālis Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# mortal

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈmɔɹ.təl/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈmɔː.təl/
**Frequency rank:** 5272

## Meanings
1. Certain to die one day; not able to live forever.
2. Causing or likely to cause death; deadly.
3. Belonging to ordinary human beings rather than gods or supernatural powers.
4. Continuing right up to death; lasting until someone dies.

## Examples
- All living things are mortal and must one day die.
- He suffered a mortal wound in the battle and died soon after.
- No mortal person could survive such a fall.
- The two families were mortal enemies for generations.

## Antonyms
- everlasting
- immortal
- natal
- venial
- vital

## Derived Forms
- amortal
- mortalin
- mortalise
- mortalism
- mortalist
- mortality
- mortalize
- mortally
- mortalness
- nonmortal
- perimortal
- postmortal

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *mer-
- Root: mortal
- Root: mortālis

## Etymology
From Middle English mortal, mortel, from Old French mortal, and their source Latin mortālis, from mors (“death”). In this sense, displaced native deadly, from Old English dēadlīċ.

## AI Etymology
Mortal comes from Middle English mortal, mortel, from Old French mortal, and their source Latin mortālis, from mors (“death”). In this sense, displaced native deadly, from Old English dēadlīċ. In present-day English its meanings include certain to die one day; not able to live forever, causing or likely to cause death; deadly, and belonging to ordinary human beings rather than gods or supernatural powers. The historical chain runs through *mer- (Proto-Indo-European), mortal (Middle English), mortal (Old French), and mortālis (Latin). Related and derived forms include amortal, mortalin, and mortalise.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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