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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mortifying
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
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
The people who have the most money and power are the first to give up, and, frankly, that should be mortifying for them.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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
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
The people who have the most money and power are the first to give up, and, frankly, that should be mortifying for them.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mortifying
Adjective
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If the ethics charges are upheld, the congresswoman could face a humiliating report, a public reprimand like censure or even expulsion from the House.—
Lauren Peller,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Iran’s first act of war against us was the 1979 seizure of the embassy in Tehran and the humiliating 444-day captivity of American diplomats.—
Elan Journo,
Oc Register,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Harbaugh has taken a blow torch to the Giants’ embarrassing special teams unit.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Fairchild played the free-wheeling bon vivant Nora Tyler Bing on five episodes of the sitcom classic, unwittingly embarrassing Perry's Chandler Bing to the delight of his pals.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
16 Feb. 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
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This device is a high-tech centrifuge that simulates microgravity by spinning vials with samples around two axes, effectively confusing the cells inside as to their position in space.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
27 Mar. 2026
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During the Second World War, the Allies put a special effort into confusing the Axis powers.—
David Szondy
March 25,
New Atlas,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Amnesty International has said that the use of the death penalty under the new measure could violate the right to life and the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, as enshrined in international law.—
Julia Frankel,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
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For Hildegard…women’s maternal bodies were not corrupting and degrading, but strong, nurturing, and creative.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Walter White, executive secretary of the NAACP, lobbied the film studios in 1942 to stop portraying Blacks in demeaning, stereotypical roles, specifically citing Fetchit.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
-
That framing, whether intentional or not, is disrespectful, dismissive and demeaning.—
Terri Freeman,
Baltimore Sun,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mortifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mortifying. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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