mortify

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To discipline (one's body, appetites etc.) by suppressing desires; to practise abstinence on.

   Some people seek sainthood by mortifying the body.

2. 2
   verb

   To injure the dignity of; to embarrass; to humiliate.

   I was so mortified I could have died right there; instead I fainted, but I swore I'd never let that happen to me again.

3. 3
   verb

   To kill.

   The second Spring after transplanting, purge them of all superfluous shoots and scions, reserving only the most towardly for the future stem; this to be done yearly, as long as they continue in the nursery; and if of the principal stem so left, the frost mortifie any part, cut it off [...]

4. 4
   verb

   To reduce the potency of; to nullify; to deaden, neutralize.

   Soothly, the gode werkes, that he dide biforn that he fil in sinne, been al mortified and astoned and dulled by the ofte sinning.

5. 5
   verb

   To affect with vexation or chagrin.

   He seemed to enjoy mortifying them with news of every fresh hell loosed in the capital.

6. 6
   verb

   To scare.

   Near-synonym: petrify

7. 7
   verb

   To grant in mortmain.

   the schoolmasters of Ayr were paid out of the mills mortified by Queen Mary

8. 8
   verb

   To lose vitality.

   [...] Tis a pure ill-natur'd ſatisfaction to ſee one that was a beauty unfortunately move with the ſame languor, and ſoftneſs of behaviour, that once was charming in her—To ſee, I ſay, her mortify that us'd to kill [...]

Etymology

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