mortifying
adjective
mor·ti·fy·ing
ˈmȯr-tə-ˌfī-iŋ 
: causing feelings of strong shame or embarrassment
a mortifying experience
They would tell each other secrets that no one else would hear, they would discuss sex in a way that would be mortifying in other company.—
Richard Flaste
Richard Flaste
mortifyingly
adverb
The document deluge has offered plenty of mortifyingly frank appraisals of foreign leaders …
—Hendrik Hertzberg
Hendrik Hertzberg
Examples of mortifying in a Sentence
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What feels energizing to one person can feel mortifying to another.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
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Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mortifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mortifying. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.
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