mortal

1 of 3

adjective

mor·​tal ˈmȯr-tᵊl 

1

: causing or having caused death : fatal

a mortal injury

2

a

: subject to death

mortal man

Every living creature is mortal.

b

: possible, conceivable

have done every mortal thing

c

: deadly sense 3

waited three mortal hours

3

: marked by unrelenting hostility

a mortal enemy

4

: marked by great intensity or severity

mortal fear

5

: human

mortal limits

a nobody with an all too mortal longing to be a somebody

—Time

6

: of, relating to, or connected with death

mortal agony

mortal

2 of 3

adverb

chiefly dialectal

: mortally

mortal

3 of 3

noun

: a human being

Synonyms

Adjective

• baleful
• deadly
• deathly
• fatal
• fell
• killer
• lethal
• murderous
• pestilent
• terminal
• vital

Noun

• baby
• being
• bird
• bod [British]
• body
• character
• cookie
• cooky
• creature
• customer
• devil
• duck
• egg
• face
• fish
• guy
• head
• human
• human being
• individual
• life
• man
• party
• person
• personage
• scout
• slob
• sort
• soul
• specimen
• stiff
• thing
• wight

Choose the Right Synonym for mortal

deadly, mortal, fatal, lethal mean causing or capable of causing death.

deadly applies to an established or very likely cause of death.

a deadly disease

mortal implies that death has occurred or is inevitable.

a mortal wound

fatal stresses the inevitability of what has in fact resulted in death or destruction.

fatal consequences

lethal applies to something that is bound to cause death or exists for the destruction of life.

lethal gas

Examples of mortal in a Sentence

Adjective

Every living creature is mortal.

He suffered a mortal wound in the battle.

Noun

stories about gods interfering in the lives of mortals

the troubles that come to ordinary mortals

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

But what Garry learned through his unique, unexpected, painful, and beautiful odyssey is that these mortal moments can also energize and inspire. —Jason Phillips, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2025

Such a merging of a mortal individual with a pitilessly abstract power like Nemesis is closer to myth than to history. —Rachel Hadas, The Conversation, 5 Feb. 2025

Noun

All GOATs should have some mystery to them, some inherent distance between themselves and us mortals. —Will Leitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Feb. 2025

The environment outside his 60-foot projectile would have brought mere mortals to their knees in prayer, but as the wind shrieked and sharp waves pounded the underside of his carbon-fiber vessel, Dalin was in his element. —George Allen, Robb Report, 15 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Adverb

Middle English, from Anglo-French mortel, mortal, from Latin mortalis, from mort-, mors death — more at murder

Noun

see human entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing mortal

• mortal combat
• mortal enemy
• mortal foe/rival
• mortal mind
• mortal remains
• mortal sin

Kids Definition

mortal

1 of 2 adjective

mor·​tal ˈmȯrt-ᵊl 

1

: capable of causing death

a mortal wound

2

: certain to die

animals are mortal

3

: extremely unfriendly

a mortal enemy

4

: very great or severe

in mortal fear

5

: human entry 1 sense 1

mortal limitations

6

: of, relating to, or connected with death

mortal agony

mortally

-ᵊl-ē

adverb

mortal

2 of 2 noun

: a human being

Medical Definition

mortal

adjective

mor·​tal ˈmȯrt-ᵊl 

1

: having caused or being about to cause death : fatal

a mortal injury

2

: of, relating to, or connected with death

mortal agony