mortified

Everyday

1. Mortified means extremely embarrassed or ashamed. tree →
2. (verb) To mortify someone is to make them feel very embarrassed. tree →
3. (church, old) To mortify the body was to make it suffer on purpose as a religious practice, for example by fasting. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life and stories, mortified is a strong feeling word, much stronger than «embarrassed»: falling over on stage, or when your dad dances at the school disco. In church history, some Christians practised «mortification» to grow in self-control. Common phrases: «absolutely mortified», «I was mortified», «mortifying moment».

Examples

• I was mortified when my trousers split in assembly. tree →
• Mum was mortified that she had forgotten my birthday party. tree →
• He felt mortified after calling the teacher «Mum». tree →
• It was mortifying to trip up the stairs in front of everyone. tree →
• She was absolutely mortified when her phone rang during the play. tree →
• My sister was mortified by Dad's dancing. tree →
• Pinocchio, mortified at being taken for a crab, said resentfully: tree →

Note

Used mostly as an adjective after «be» or «feel». The «-ing» form «mortifying» describes the situation. It comes from Latin «mors» (death) — as if you could «die of embarrassment».