Mortify

Pronunciation: /ˈmɔːrtɪfaɪ/

Definitions of mortify

verb to cause someone to feel embarrassed, ashamed, or humiliated

Example Sentences

A1 She was mortified when she realized she had food stuck in her teeth during the entire presentation.

A2 The student was mortified when he accidentally called the teacher 'mom' in front of the whole class.

B1 He was mortified by his boss's public criticism of his work in front of his colleagues.

B2 The actress was mortified when her private photos were leaked online for everyone to see.

C1 The politician was mortified by the scandal that tarnished his reputation and career.

C2 Despite his confident demeanor, he was secretly mortified by his fear of public speaking.

Examples of mortify in a Sentence

formal She was mortified when she realized she had forgotten to wear her name tag to the important conference.

informal I would be absolutely mortified if I tripped and fell in front of everyone at the party.

slang I'd be totally mortified if my crush saw me wearing this outfit.

figurative The idea of public speaking mortifies me to the core.

Grammatical Forms of mortify

• past tense: mortified
• plural: mortifies
• comparative: more mortified
• superlative: most mortified
• present tense: mortify
• future tense: will mortify
• perfect tense: has mortified
• continuous tense: is mortifying
• singular: mortify
• positive degree: mortify
• infinitive: to mortify
• gerund: mortifying
• participle: mortified

Origin and Evolution of mortify

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'mortify' originated from the Latin word 'mortificare', which is a combination of 'mors' meaning 'death' and 'facere' meaning 'to make'.

Evolution of the word: Originally used in a religious context to mean 'to subdue the flesh in a spiritual sense', the word 'mortify' has evolved to also mean 'to cause someone to feel embarrassed or ashamed'.