Synonyms of mortify

mortify

verb

ˈmȯr-tə-ˌfī 

as in to embarrass

to throw into a state of self-conscious distress

was mortified by her children's atrocious manners

Synonyms & Similar Words

• embarrass
• confuse
• fluster
• bother
• disconcert
• rattle
• disturb
• humiliate
• faze
• discountenance
• unsettle
• discomfit
• confound
• abash
• upset
• distress
• nonplus
• discomfort
• perturb
• agitate
• disquiet
• humble
• demean
• shame
• unhinge
• dismay
• put off
• debase
• discompose
• degrade
• put out
• chagrin
• queer

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• relieve
• soothe
• comfort
• encourage
• calm
• console
• cheer
• assure
• reassure
• embolden
• hearten
• buoy

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of mortify

Substitute in those that reverberate deeply with you, those you would be mortified to let down and elated to make proud. — Literary Hub, 6 May 2026

Just last year, the Trust for Public Land scored the city way down at 90th out of 100 cities, the kind of mortifying ranking usually occupied in other categories by Mississippi (sorry, Mississippi). — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026

Baby Reindeer was hardly a laugh riot, but mortifying humor is still humor and, with episodic running times in the 30-minute range, the show had a charging, unpredictable momentum. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026

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