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Definition of mortalnext
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mortal

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective mortal differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of mortal are deadly, fatal, and lethal. While all these words mean "causing or capable of causing death," mortal implies that death has occurred or is inevitable.

a mortal wound

When might deadly be a better fit than mortal?

While in some cases nearly identical to mortal, deadly applies to an established or very likely cause of death.

a deadly disease

When is fatal a more appropriate choice than mortal?

The words fatal and mortal can be used in similar contexts, but fatal stresses the inevitability of what has in fact resulted in death or destruction.

fatal consequences

Where would lethal be a reasonable alternative to mortal?

In some situations, the words lethal and mortal are roughly equivalent. However, lethal applies to something that is bound to cause death or exists for the destruction of life.

lethal gas

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mortal
Adjective
These will be organized into a series of categories based on thematic body types, including the naked body, the classical body, the pregnant body, the aging body, the anatomical body, and the mortal body. José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 1 May 2026 But James has been much more mortal in the two games since, and the Lakers have lost both. Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Noun
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, literature will outlast the foibles of misguided mortals. Charlie Tyson, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026 Everflame is set in a world where mortals live in poverty, subjugated by an elite race known as the Descended. Denise Petski, Deadline, 17 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mortal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mortal
Adjective
  • Prosecutors also displayed the internet search history from Richins’ phone, which included queries about the lethal dose of fentanyl, luxury prisons and how poisoning is marked on a death certificate.
    Hannah Schoenbaum, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026
  • In a letter last month, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration notified federal grant recipients that the government would no longer pay for test strips and kits that help drug users see if their drugs contain highly-lethal additives.
    Mike Stobbe, Fortune, 13 May 2026
Adjective
  • At least 18 people are currently under observation at two of the nation’s top medical centers after being potentially exposed to hantavirus aboard the MV Hondius, the cruise ship at the center of the deadly outbreak.
    Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 12 May 2026
  • Fifteen people jailed at Rikers died that year, the beginning of an uptick toward the deadliest annual figures in almost a decade.
    Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 11 May 2026
Adjective
  • Such a shift in public opinion required storytelling and a human connection.
    Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 11 May 2026
  • Brian Eckenrode, a retired FBI forensic scientist and expert in human decomposition, joined them in 2021.
    Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
Adjective
  • Women, people of color, and first-generation professionals were too often told their accurate perceptions of hostile environments were merely internal distortions.
    Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks, Fortune, 13 May 2026
  • Others, like Michael (Doon Mackichan), seem openly hostile.
    Keith Phipps, Vulture, 13 May 2026
Noun
  • Stepheny Price is a Writer at Fox News with a focus on West Coast and Midwest news, missing persons, national and international crime stories, homicide cases, and border security.
    Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 12 May 2026
  • In addition, le Polain said test results were also pending for one person from the ship with an inconclusive case.
    Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 12 May 2026
Adjective
  • Two Connecticut State Police troopers have been cleared in connection with a fatal shooting in Bozrah last August after the state Inspector General concluded that the armed woman who was shot was apparently trying to commit suicide by cop.
    Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 12 May 2026
  • The star died in 2009, at age 50, of cardiac arrest due to a fatal dose of propofol and other drugs.
    Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 12 May 2026
Adjective
  • Thinking him either dead or, worse, suicidal, she’d screamed, which inopportunely woke him up.
    Weike Wang, New Yorker, 17 May 2026
  • Two pedestrians — Jason Negron, 46, and Michael Saint-Hilaire, 35, both of Manhattan — were pronounced dead at the hospital, police said.
    Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 16 May 2026
Adjective
  • However, Chloe later admitted that, despite their best efforts, her parents’ divorce — and the rumors and publicity surrounding it — did have a negative effect on her.
    Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
  • So none of the negative press circling around him manifested as a problem in your working relationship?
    Zak Cheney-Rice, Vulture, 13 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Mortal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mortal. Accessed 18 May. 2026.

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