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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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
Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
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
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
The graduation ceremony and the reception afterward are cute and heartwarming for the grown-ups, bittersweet and mortifying for the kids, who skive off to smoke some of Ed’s high-test weed and have a little Texas Forever moment, toasting their enduring friendships.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mortifying
Adjective
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Despite far fewer casualties than the Afghan resistance, the mighty Soviet Union suffered a humiliating defeat in its nine-year war in Afghanistan during the 1980s.—
Will Walldorf,
The Conversation,
1 Apr. 2026
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Valerie is initially resistant to the idea, but a humiliating experience on an indie shoot has her reconsidering.—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Harbaugh has taken a blow torch to the Giants’ embarrassing special teams unit.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
25 Mar. 2026
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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
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Being on an island starving is very humbling.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Jan. 2026
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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
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The epitome of narcissism, demeaning and denigrating others upon their deaths (John McCain, Rob Reiner) who’ve displeased him is nothing new, but the Mueller post sinks to a new low.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
30 Mar. 2026
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To emphasize that new technology can’t change bad behavior, Josh mirrors many of the same demeaning and destructive traits of showrunner Paulie G (Lance Barber), the antagonist of Seasons One and Two.—
Jennifer Silverman,
Rolling Stone,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mortifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mortifying. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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