mortify

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈmoɹtɪfaɪ/ UK /ˈmɔːtɪfaɪ/ See IPA manual

Freq #73177

Meanings

1

verb
To make someone feel very embarrassed or ashamed.

I was mortified when I tripped and fell in front of the whole class.
2

verb
To control your body and desires through strict self-discipline, often for religious reasons.

Some monks mortify the body through fasting and hardship.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to make someone feel very... humiliate shame

Word family

Forms mortifiedmortifiesmortifying

Related forms mortification

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman mortifier, Middle French mortifier, from Late Latin mortificō (“cause death”), from Latin mors (“death”) + -ficō (“-fy”).

*mer- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# mortify

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈmoɹtɪfaɪ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈmɔːtɪfaɪ/
**Frequency rank:** 73177

## Meanings
1. To make someone feel very embarrassed or ashamed.
2. To control your body and desires through strict self-discipline, often for religious reasons.

## Examples
- I was mortified when I tripped and fell in front of the whole class.
- Some monks mortify the body through fasting and hardship.

## Related Forms
- mortification

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *mer-

## Etymology
From Anglo-Norman mortifier, Middle French mortifier, from Late Latin mortificō (“cause death”), from Latin mors (“death”) + -ficō (“-fy”).

## AI Etymology
Mortify comes from Anglo-Norman mortifier, Middle French mortifier, from Late Latin mortificō (“cause death”), from Latin mors (“death”) + -ficō (“-fy”). In present-day English its meanings include to make someone feel very embarrassed or ashamed and to control your body and desires through strict self-discipline, often for religious reasons. Related and derived forms include mortification.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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