mortify

/ˈmɔːtɪfaɪ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmɔːrtɪfaɪ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmȯr-tə-ˌfī/ (ame, mw)

mortify — verb

  • mortifypresent simple I / you / we / they
  • mortifieshe / she / it
  • mortifiedpast simple
  • mortifying-ing form

1. to cause someone to feel deeply ashamed or extremely uncomfortable, especially w

1.動詞及物C1
釋義

to cause someone to feel deeply ashamed or extremely uncomfortable, especially when their mistake or awkward situation is witnessed by others in public

例句

Piotr felt utterly mortified when his phone rang loudly during the solemn funeral ceremony.

passive: be mortified when + event

The supervisor's public correction mortified the intern in front of the entire sales team.

active: [person] mortifies [person] + in front of [group]

同義詞
  • humiliate

    focuses on lowering someone's dignity or pride, often publicly

  • embarrass

    lighter than mortify; covers a broad range of awkwardness from mild to strong

  • shame

    implies moral wrongdoing; mortify can apply to social clumsiness without moral dimension

反義詞
  • praise

    publicly affirming rather than shaming

  • honour

    to show respect, the opposite of humiliating

文法句型

mortify + person

be mortified + by/at + noun phrase

be mortified + to-infinitive

be mortified + that-clause

用法筆記

Frequently used in the passive voice (be mortified) with by, at, or when. The active form (X mortifies Y) also occurs but is less common in everyday speech. Distinguish from embarrass: mortify implies a stronger, more painful level of shame.

常見錯誤

❌His joke mortified me very much.
✅His joke left me mortified.
💡Avoid 'very much' with mortify; use intensifiers like 'absolutely', 'utterly', or 'completely' instead.
❌I mortified at my mistake.
✅I was mortified at my mistake.
💡The passive form requires a form of 'be'.

2. to deliberately discipline or weaken the body and its natural appetites through

2.動詞及物C2
釋義

to deliberately discipline or weaken the body and its natural appetites through hardship, fasting, or self-denial, typically as a spiritual or religious practice

例句

The ancient monks would mortify the flesh by fasting for long periods and sleeping on stone floors.

pattern: mortify the flesh by + gerund

Some religious traditions encourage followers to mortify their physical urges through meditation and prayer.

同義詞
  • subdue

    broader, can apply to emotions or rebellions without religious connotation

  • suppress

    implies pushing down desires, but lacks the self-discipline/religious aspect

  • deny oneself

    phrasal equivalent with a similar meaning of voluntary refusal

反義詞
  • indulge

    to allow oneself pleasures without restraint

文法句型

mortify + the flesh / body / desires

mortify + oneself + through + noun

mortify + reflexive pronoun + by + gerund

用法筆記

Typically used in religious or ascetic contexts. The object is most often the flesh or the body rather than specific body parts. Modern non-religious use is rare and would sound archaic or literary.

常見錯誤

❌He mortified his hunger by eating less.
✅He mortified his flesh by eating less.
💡The object should be the flesh/body/desires, not the specific appetite itself.

3. to decay or die while still part of a living body, as when blood flow is cut off

3.動詞不及物C2
釋義

to decay or die while still part of a living body, as when blood flow is cut off and the affected tissue turns black and decomposes

例句

After the severe frostbite, the tips of Tendai's fingers began to mortify and had to be removed.

medical: [body part] begins to mortify

Without proper blood circulation, the injured muscle will gradually mortify and become infected.

同義詞
  • necrotize

    modern medical term; more precise than mortify

  • gangrene

    can be used as a verb ('the flesh gangrened'), but more common as a noun

  • decompose

    general term for decay, not specific to living tissue

反義詞
  • heal

    tissue recovery through regeneration, the opposite of dying

文法句型

mortify + (no object)

tissue / flesh + mortifies

用法筆記

Mostly encountered in medical writing or historical texts. In modern clinical language, necrotize or become gangrenous are more common. This sense is intransitive — the tissue mortifies on its own; you do not mortify tissue.

常見錯誤

❌The doctor mortified the wound.
✅The wound began to mortify.
💡This sense is intransitive; you cannot mortify something. The tissue mortifies by itself.