Dictionary › M › mortify

mortify

3 syllables · also mortified
Quick answer

As a verb, mortify means discipline (one's body, appetites etc.) by suppressing desires.

Meanings of mortify

14 meanings

verb

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

    “Some people seek sainthood by mortifying the body.”

  2. usually used passivelyTo embarrass, to humiliate. To injure one's dignity.

    “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. To lose vitality.

  4. To gangrene.

  5. To be subdued.

  6. Practice self-denial of one's body and appetites

  7. Hold within limits and control

    “subdue one's appetites”

    “mortify the flesh”

    Similar: subdue, crucify
  8. Cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of

    “He humiliated his colleague by criticising him in front of the boss”

    Similar: humiliate, chagrin, humble, abase
  9. Undergo necrosisbody

    “the tissue around the wound necrosed”

    Similar: necrose, gangrene, sphacelate
Older and rare meanings (5)
  1. obsoleteTo kill.

  2. obsoleteTo reduce the potency of; to nullify; to deaden, neutralize.

  3. obsoleteTo kill off (living tissue etc.); to make necrotic.

  4. obsoleteTo affect with vexation, chagrin, or humiliation; to humble; to depress.

  5. ScotlandlegalhistoricalTo grant in mortmain.

Meanings from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0).

mortify around the world

ScotlandTo grant in mortmain.

Synonyms by meaning

All synonyms for mortify →
verb: hold within limits and control
verb: cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of
verb: undergo necrosis
necrosegangrenesphacelate

Words that rhyme with mortify

For word games

m3
o1
r1
t1
i1
f4
y4
Scrabble & Words With Friends: valid word15 points before bonuses.7 letters.
Unscramble these letters

Nearby words