mortal

comparative more mortal · superlative most mortal

1. Susceptible to death by aging, sickness, injury, or wound; not immortal.First known use 14th c.
2. Causing death; deadly, fatal, killing, lethal (now only of wounds, injuries etc.).First known use 14th c.

   Blyndfold he was; and in his cruell fist A mortall bow and arrowes keene did hold […]

   1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto XI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC

   1 more example

   into the plain Disgorged at length, the dead and the alive, In one dread mass, were parted, and the stain Of blood from mortal steel fell o’er the fields like rain.

   1817 December, Percy Bysshe Shelley, “The Revolt of Islam. […]”, in [Mary] Shelley, editor, The Poetical Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley. […], volume I, London: Edward Moxon […], published 1839, →OCLC, page 263

   Synonyms: fatal, lethal, baneful

3. Punishable by death.
4. Fatally vulnerable.

   Last of all, against himself he turns his sword, but missing the mortal place, with his poniard finishes the work.

   1670, John Milton, “(please specify the page)”, in The History of Britain, that Part Especially now Call’d England. […], London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for James Allestry, […] , →OCLC

5. Of or relating to the time of death.

   Safe in the hand of one disposing Power, Or in the natal or the mortal hour.

   1733, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Man. […], (please specify |epistle=I to IV), London: […] J[ohn] Wilford, […], →OCLC

6. Affecting as if with power to kill; deathly; related to a life-and-death struggle.

   mortal enemy

   3 more examples

   The nymph grew pale, and in a mortal fright.

   1717, John Dryden [et al.], “(please specify |book=I to XV)”, in Ovid’s Metamorphoses in Fifteen Books. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC

   I was in mortal fear lest the captain should repent of his confessions and make an end of me.

   1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC

   Although the Japanese have engaged with little hesitation, they are as surprised as the Americans to be fighting this battle. Although the escort-carrier groups have been under sporadic air attack for over a week, these attacks appear to have been conducted by aircraft from the Japanese Army, who, of course, have utterly failed to mention any of this to their counterparts-dash-rivals-dash-mortal enemies in the Imperial Japanese Navy.

   2019 February 27, Drachinifel, 13:20 from the start, in The Battle of Samar - Odds? What are those?, archived from the original on 03 Nov 2022

7. Human; belonging or pertaining to people who are mortal.

   mortal wit or knowledge; mortal power

   2 more examples

   The voice of God To mortal ear is dreadful.

   1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC

   “It's just...I hesitated to call the police. I wasn't sure you'd appreciate their presence.” He sure wouldn't. Mortal scum he could dispatch. Mortal law enforcement he avoided at all costs[…]

   2012, Olivia Gates, Immortal, Insatiable, Indomitable, Harlequin, →ISBN

8. Very painful or tedious; wearisome.

   a sermon lasting two mortal hours

9. GeordieScotlandslangVery drunk.

   Thats^([sic]) nothing, says Tequila Sheila, who told how the summer she was housemaid in The Saint Columba she took this guy back to the staff flats while mortal on slammers and crashed out on him before anything could happen.

   1995, Alan Warner, Morvern Callar, Vintage, published 2015, page 13

   Synonyms: mortalled

10. lifestyleCausing spiritual death (the destruction of charity in the soul) and thus, a disruption of one's relationship with God.
11. colloquialdatedAn intensifier.

    "We will do any mortal thing you like, Max, if you will allow Parkinson to administer a bromo-seltzer and then enable me to meet the officials of the Direct Insurance without a blush."

    1914, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], Max Carrados

plural mortals

1. A human; someone susceptible to death.

   Her wisdom was beyond that of a mere mortal.

   2 more examples

   Lord what fools these mortals be!

   c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)

   But then I had the flintlock by me for protection. There were giants in the days when that gun was made; for surely no modern mortal could have held that mass of metal steady to his shoulder. The linen-press and a chest on the top of it formed, however, a very good gun-carriage; and, thus mounted, aim could be taken out of the window[…].

   1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC

   Antonyms: immortal

1. colloquialnot comparableMortally; enough to cause death.

   It's mortal cold out there.