as in embarrassment
the emotional state of being made self-consciously uncomfortable
the mortification of being dumped the night before the prom
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mortification
Springsteen’s reaction was a mix of mortification and bemusement.
—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
2 Apr. 2026
The comments section features a piquant blend of solemnity, mortification, tastelessness, and transphobia, which accords with Moreschi’s reception in his lifetime.
—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
As if unable to resist her own mortification, Leonora asks if the bed is comfortable.
—
Literary Hub,
17 Nov. 2025
The cringing mortifications and unsettling unreality make the series a tough sit.
—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mortification
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
2 Apr. 2026
The comments section features a piquant blend of solemnity, mortification, tastelessness, and transphobia, which accords with Moreschi’s reception in his lifetime.
—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
As if unable to resist her own mortification, Leonora asks if the bed is comfortable.
—
Literary Hub,
17 Nov. 2025
The cringing mortifications and unsettling unreality make the series a tough sit.
—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mortification
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mortification
Noun
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Sitting around a table in the soundstage where the pilot for I Love Lucy was filmed, the six of them tailored the roles to the actors and infused the script with arguments, embarrassments, and confessions from their own relationships.
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In 1952, Sarris’ teenage mother gave him up for adoption, her family hoping to evade the embarrassment of their Jewish daughter becoming pregnant by a Native American Filipino man.
Noun
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Mercury stations retrograde in Cancer in your 11th House of Friends and Community, bringing old invitations, group-chat confusion, or unclear expectations back into focus.
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In it, the author described a culture of confusion, stress, and incompetence, as contractors competed for work to be completed under near-impossible deadlines.
Noun
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Darcy’s first proposal is a humiliation—for him, not her—and his transformation in the novel’s second half works because Austen is unsparing about what Elizabeth’s rejection actually reveals.
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The New York governor fled in humiliation.
Cite this Entry
“Mortification.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mortification. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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