as in to embarrass
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress
was mortified by her children's atrocious manners
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Recent Examples of mortify
The graduation ceremony and the reception afterward are cute and heartwarming for the grown-ups, bittersweet and mortifying for the kids, who skive off to smoke some of Ed’s high-test weed and have a little Texas Forever moment, toasting their enduring friendships.
—
Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
He would’ve been mortified to see that kind of tacky scandal on what was a family show.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 18 Mar. 2026
Katie becomes a cause célèbre for a younger feminist and is mortified to see her face on T-shirts.
—Judy Berman, Time, 5 Mar. 2026
When friends from college visited me back home in Brooklyn, I was mortified about everything.
—Lloyd Blankfein, Vanity Fair, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mortify
Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
He would’ve been mortified to see that kind of tacky scandal on what was a family show.
—Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 18 Mar. 2026
Katie becomes a cause célèbre for a younger feminist and is mortified to see her face on T-shirts.
—Judy Berman, Time, 5 Mar. 2026
When friends from college visited me back home in Brooklyn, I was mortified about everything.
—Lloyd Blankfein, Vanity Fair, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mortify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mortify
Verb
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Then to Sydney Harbour, the very scene of that embarrassing capsize exactly a year earlier, and the Americans won the event outright for a first win since October 2023.—
Andrew Rice,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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Some fans weighed in on his outfit choice on social media, sparking conversations about if the actor might have embarrassed his wife.—
Juliana Ukiomogbe,
InStyle,
27 May 2026
Verb
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And then beyond that, there’s Hackney Wick, which is not to be confused with traditional Hackney, also on the canal, filled with very cool community initiatives.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
30 May 2026
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Because of their similar flowers, this plant is sometimes confused with bigleaf hydrangea.—
Marie Iannotti,
The Spruce,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mortify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mortify. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
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