mortification

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UK/ˌmɔːtɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/US/ˌmoɹtɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/US/-tə-/US/-fə-/

noun

The act of mortifying.

“Near-synonym: humiliation”

Meanings

nounmortification (countable and uncountable, plural mortifications)

plural mortifications

  1. countableuncountableThe act of mortifying.
  2. countableuncountableA sensation of extreme shame or embarrassment.

    Near-synonym: humiliation

    3 more examples

    Certainly a little mortification appears very becoming in a wife—don't you think it will do her good to let her Pine a little.

    1777, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The School for Scandal, V.ii

    He felt stunned—mortification, sorrow, and anger, mingled together: the past was like a dream, and the future swam indistinctly before him.

    1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “The Consent”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 152

    The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again; for, even after she had conquered her love for the Celebrity, the mortification of having been jilted by him remained.

    1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter VIII, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC

    Synonyms: humiliation · Antonyms: honor, exaltation

  3. countableuncountablemedicineThe death of part of the body.

    And then there's the fever and the mortification—if it took bad ways he'd quickly be gone.

    1913, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “chapter 5”, in Sons and Lovers, London: Duckworth & Co. […], →OCLC
  4. countableuncountableA bringing under of the passions and appetites by a severe or strict manner of living.
  5. countablehistoricaluncountablechiefly Scots lawA bequest to a charitable institution.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA sensation of extreme shame or embarrassment.

More synonyms by meaning

nounstrong feelings of embarrassment

nounthe localized death of living cells (as from infection or the interruption of blood supply)

Broader

nounan instance in which you are caused to lose your prestige or self-respect

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinmortificātiō
  2. Middle Frenchmortification
  3. Middle Englishmortificacioun, mortification
  4. Englishmortification

From Middle English mortificacioun, mortification, from Middle French mortification and its etymon Latin mortificātiō. By surface analysis, mortify + -ication.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian унижение, умъртвяване
  • унижение (uniženie)a sensation of extreme shame
  • умъртвяване (umărtvjavane)death of a body part
  • гангрена (gangrena)death of a body part
Czech ponížení, zahanbení
  • poníženíact of mortifying
  • zahanbeníact of mortifying
  • ztrapněníact of mortifying
  • poníženía sensation of extreme shame
  • zahanbenía sensation of extreme shame
  • odumíránídeath of a body part
Greek ταπείνωση, προσβολή
  • ταπείνωση (tapeínosi)a sensation of extreme shame
  • προσβολή (prosvolí)a sensation of extreme shame
  • νέκρωση (nékrosi)death of a body part
  • γάγγραινα (gángraina)death of a body part
Japanese 屈辱, 壊死
  • 屈辱 (kutsujoku)a sensation of extreme shame
  • 壊死 (eshi)death of a body part
Russian омертве́ние
  • омертве́ниеdeath of a body part

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with mortification

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

mortification. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mortification

MLA

“mortification.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mortification. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mortification,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mortification.

Source: mortification on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.