as in humiliating
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as in embarrassing
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress
was mortified by her children's atrocious manners
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Recent Examples of mortifying
George Caulkin, New York Times, 14 May 2026
And what could be more mortifying than getting lower ratings than your mother?
—Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 7 May 2026
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
The answer might be a mortifying surprise.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2025
The mortifying moment comes at a time when international tourism continues to rebound strongly despite global uncertainty.
—Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
What feels energizing to one person can feel mortifying to another.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
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
Classmates saw the sign while riding by Goepper’s home on the school bus, mortifying the teenage Goepper.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 18 Feb. 2026
Ursula Lindsey The Norwegian writer Vigdis Hjorth has a gift for depicting painful, confusing, and mortifying relationships.
—Joanna Walsh, The New York Review of Books, 15 Nov. 2025
And that display from our fans was mortifying.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
The second, a 2-1 home defeat, was mortifying.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 14 May 2026
And what could be more mortifying than getting lower ratings than your mother?
—Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 7 May 2026
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
The answer might be a mortifying surprise.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2025
The mortifying moment comes at a time when international tourism continues to rebound strongly despite global uncertainty.
—Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
What feels energizing to one person can feel mortifying to another.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Verb
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
Classmates saw the sign while riding by Goepper’s home on the school bus, mortifying the teenage Goepper.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 18 Feb. 2026
Ursula Lindsey The Norwegian writer Vigdis Hjorth has a gift for depicting painful, confusing, and mortifying relationships.
—Joanna Walsh, The New York Review of Books, 15 Nov. 2025
And that display from our fans was mortifying.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mortifying
Adjective
-
There also had been a humiliating blunder in which the bank sent $900 million to the wrong place and struggled to get it back.—
Claire Zillman,
Fortune,
27 May 2026
-
This was nasty and pretty humiliating.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
To be sweating on the results of others and nervously looking over their shoulder — and from fifth place — at this stage of a season is embarrassing enough for Liverpool.—
Gregg Evans,
New York Times,
20 May 2026
-
Lutnick's voluntary closed-door interview comes amid a monthslong procession of powerful people summoned before the committee, many of whom have been subjected to embarrassing revelations in the more than 3 million pages of records known as the Epstein files.—
Graham Kates,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
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
Verb
-
Stop confusing busy with productive Founders in the struggle zone are busy.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
-
Schoen’s contract extension is confusing at best.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
22 May 2026
Adjective
-
There’s an adjustment period — percale can feel crisp at first — but most people acclimate within a week or two and find cotton softens further with every wash, rather than pilling or degrading like synthetics.—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Most people acclimate within a week or two, and cotton gets softer with every wash rather than pilling or degrading.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Despite the demeaning work, Laura, a local woman, has risen to middle management through unyielding determination.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
-
Not in a demeaning way but in a loving a caring way.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mortifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mortifying. Accessed 1 Jun. 2026.
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