mortifying 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of mortifyingnext
as in humiliating

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Dissimilar Words

mortifying

2 of 2

verb

present participle of mortify
as in embarrassing
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress was mortified by her children's atrocious manners

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 mortifying
Adjective
One particularly mortifying episode from the past haunts Hally. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026 Even more fortunately, TJ also has a real, if mortifying, alibi. — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
Verb
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 Classmates saw the sign while riding by Goepper’s home on the school bus, mortifying the teenage Goepper. — Sean Gregory, Time, 18 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mortifying
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mortifying
  1. humiliating
  2. embarrassing
  3. humbling
  4. confusing
  5. degrading
  6. demeaning
Adjective
  • Both attended Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, when Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs suffered a humiliating defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles, 22-40.
    — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 2 July 2026
  • Like other female inmates in Tennessee and beyond, Sellars experienced strip searches that are more humiliating than what men experience because of their menstrual cycles.
    — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 29 June 2026
Definition of humiliating
Verb
  • Ukraine has carried out major drone strikes on Russia’s two largest cities, embarrassing the Kremlin with images of black plumes of smoke that circulated widely online, despite regulations restricting their publication.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
  • But in this case, the ejection was absolutely unnecessary and, frankly, embarrassing for Lentz.
    — Levi Weaver, New York Times, 30 June 2026
Definition of embarrassing
Adjective
  • Being on an island starving is very humbling.
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026
  • Those listeners are the ones who are our backbone, which is very humbling.
    — Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 17 Oct. 2025
Definition of humbling
Verb
  • One of the biggest mistakes students make is confusing a loan approval with an affordability recommendation.
    — Scott White, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Meta’s new cloud business — selling excess compute capacity to outside customers — is confusing on its face.
    — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of confusing
Adjective
  • No one should be subject to listening to the most degrading and profane words that now seem popular with some people.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 16 June 2026
  • According to the company, the electronic attack variant is intended to provide non-kinetic effects on the battlefield by disrupting and degrading enemy sensors and reconnaissance networks.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 14 June 2026
Definition of degrading
Adjective
  • This is demeaning, unfair, and dangerous to women and girls, and denies women and girls the equal opportunity to participate and excel in competitive sports.
    — Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2026
  • Some women who filed lawsuits against Ortega reported they had been confused about whether demeaning or uncomfortable actions the doctor engaged in during exams was within the bounds of necessary medical behavior.
    — Emily Hoerner, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026
Definition of demeaning

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mortify
mortifying
mortuary
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Cite this Entry

“Mortifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mortifying. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on mortifying

Nglish: Translation of mortifying for Spanish Speakers

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