mortal

adjective

mor·tal | \ ˈmȯr-tᵊl

Definition of mortal

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : causing or having caused death : fatal a mortal injury

2a : subject to death mortal man Every living creature is mortal.

b : possible, conceivable have done every mortal thing

c : deadly sense 3 waited three mortal hours

3 : marked by unrelenting hostility a mortal enemy

4 : marked by great intensity or severity mortal fear

5 : human mortal limits a nobody with an all too mortal longing to be a somebody — Time

6 : of, relating to, or connected with death mortal agony

mortal

adverb

Definition of mortal (Entry 2 of 3)

chiefly dialectal

: mortally

mortal

noun

Definition of mortal (Entry 3 of 3)

: a human being

Other Words from mortal Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about mortal

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Choose the Right Synonym for mortal

Adjective

deadly, mortal, fatal, lethal mean causing or capable of causing death. deadly applies to an established or very likely cause of death. a deadly disease mortal implies that death has occurred or is inevitable. a mortal wound fatal stresses the inevitability of what has in fact resulted in death or destruction. fatal consequences lethal applies to something that is bound to cause death or exists for the destruction of life. lethal gas

Examples of mortal in a Sentence

Adjective

Every living creature is mortal. He suffered a mortal wound in the battle.

Noun

stories about gods interfering in the lives of mortals the troubles that come to ordinary mortals

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

According to the Warrens, Annabelle first began wreaking havoc on the mortal world in 1970 after she was given as a gift to a 28 year old nurse, Donna, by her mother. — Rosie Knight, refinery29.com, "Yep, Annabelle Comes Home Comes From A Spooky, Possibly True Story," 30 June 2019 Wine preservation is designed to get oxygen, the mortal enemy of wine, out of the picture. — Wired Staff, WIRED, "From Cameras to Kayaks, All the Stuff We Loved This Month," 30 June 2019 No player looks as composed and assured on the ball as Silva, no mere mortal has the vision and creative flair to match him. — SI.com, "David Silva: The Greatest Foreign Player in Premier League History," 27 June 2019 Robot battles ensue, with increasingly mortal consequences. — Allegra Frank, Vox, "8 things to know about Neon Genesis Evangelion, the legendary anime now streaming on Netflix," 21 June 2019 Their mortal bodies have turned to dust, but their spirit lives to guide us through life in the way of godliness, justice and liberty. — The Conversation, "Maryland ‘Peace Cross’ ruling: The Supreme Court rules that a cross stands for more than Christianity," 20 June 2019 If a mortal touches the notebook, they are forbidden from telling anybody else about the Shinigami. — Michael Williams, orlandosentinel.com, "Judge refuses to toss evidence found in home where cops say Chuluota man killed his family," 19 June 2019 This grand hotel still manages to hold onto a flicker of its old majesty despite the mortal shell craters and bullet holes scarring its sandstone facade. — Menelaos Hadjicostis, Fox News, "Aging grand hotel highlights the ethnic division in Cyprus," 16 June 2019 The teaser trailer, released on Thursday, is definitely gnarly: a knight shrieks in agony as his mortal form is pulverized and a more monstrous one takes his place. — Nick Romano, EW.com, "Baldur's Gate III officially announced with gruesome teaser trailer," 6 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

That reputation, that lofty ambition, is not allowed to bleed into complacency when faced with mere mortals. — Rory Smith, New York Times, "Ruthless. Relentless. Victorious.," 2 July 2019 While most of us mere mortals are wearing mom jeans and crop tops, Billie's out here in neon ski masks and furry yeti pants. — Kelsey Stiegman, Seventeen, "Billie Eilish is Wearing a Gucci Ankle Pillow and I'm Lowkey Confused," 26 June 2019 In the hands of social media users, the moment became a courtside drama about a mere mortal who audaciously invaded Beyoncé’s personal space. — Bethonie Butler, Washington Post, "Beyoncé is the latest celebrity to star in a courtside drama curated by the Internet," 6 June 2019 Maybe belief in the impossible is what really separates gods from mortals more than physical gifts or a turn of good fortune. — Lz Granderson, latimes.com, "Sports is the ultimate David vs. Goliath, and Andy Ruiz’s win is why we all still watch," 5 June 2019 In Greek mythology, Iris is the rainbow, riding an arc of light to bear messages from the gods to mortals. — Lucia De Stefani, National Geographic, "24 brilliant pictures of rainbows around the world," 15 Mar. 2019 While the rest of us mere mortals have been accessorizing with hoop earrings, Beyoncé is out here living in the year 3008 and wearing Slinkys as earrings. — Lauren Alexis Fisher, Harper's BAZAAR, "Beyoncé Wore Your Favorite Childhood Toy as Earrings but Made It Fashion," 7 Aug. 2018 Art and its makers can be as ephemeral as ordinary matter and mortals. — Willard Spiegelman, WSJ, "A Prophetic Paean to Progress," 1 Mar. 2019 Along with the papal treasures, the Met show includes garments for more ordinary mortals by designers spanning Azzedine Alia to Vivienne Westwood, all set against the backdrop of the Met’s collection of medieval and religious artwork. — Washington Post, "Vatican, Versace and Vogue team up for Met’s spring exhibit," 26 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mortal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.