English Dictionary
Definition of “mortal”
mortal (ˈmɔːtəll
)
Definitions
adjective
- (of living beings, esp human beings) subject to death
- of or involving life or the world
- ending in or causing death; fatal ⇒
a mortal blow
- deadly or unrelenting ⇒
a mortal enemy
- of or like the fear of death; dire ⇒
mortal terror
- great or very intense ⇒
mortal pain
- possible ⇒
there was no mortal reason to go
- slang long and tedious ⇒
for three mortal hours
noun
- a mortal being
- informal a person ⇒
a mean mortal
Alternative Forms
ˈmortally adverb Word Origin
C14: from Latin mortālis, from mors death
Synonyms
View thesaurus entry
=
human,
worldly,
passing,
earthly,
fleshly,
temporal,
transient,
ephemeral,
perishable,
corporeal,
impermanent,
sublunary,
=
unrelenting,
bitter,
sworn,
deadly,
relentless,
to the death,
implacable,
out-and-out,
irreconcilable,
remorseless,
=
great,
serious,
terrible,
enormous,
severe,
extreme,
grave,
intense,
awful,
dire,
agonizing,
Quotations
"What fools these mortals be!"
William Shakespeare
Usage examples
She was not cold, merely absent, like a nun who, wedded to the idea of God, seeks no mortal husband.
Amanda Hemingway, THE GREENSTONE GRAIL: The Sangreal Trilogy One (2004)The key to our internal clocks could be mortal combat between proteins
New Scientist (1998)Then four years ago, in what was seen as a mortal blow, Runnymede was ordered closed.
Toronto Sun (2003)But a controversial effort in the second minute of first-half injury-time proved to be a mortal wound.
Sun, News of the World (2004)Child, your soul is in mortal danger,' the priest said, shaking his head sorrowfully.
Anne Bennett, WALKING BACK TO HAPPINESS (2002)
