as in to embarrass
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress
was mortified by her children's atrocious manners
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Recent Examples of mortify
Given all that, Clayton is mortified to see Rachel walk onto the Perfect Match beach.
—
EW.com, 30 July 2025
Byron and Cabot, who appeared mortified to have been spotted publicly and who have not commented on their relationship, both resigned.
—Adam Carlson, People.com, 28 July 2025
Cabot, clearly mortified, turned and hid her face, and Andy Byron sunk out of the frame like the guilty party in a lineup of potential perps.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2025
Loosely based on Shirley Jackson's 1959 novel of the same name — and translated to our modern age — each character is burdened with mortifying childhood memories that manifest as literal ghosts.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for mortify
EW.com, 30 July 2025
Byron and Cabot, who appeared mortified to have been spotted publicly and who have not commented on their relationship, both resigned.
—Adam Carlson, People.com, 28 July 2025
Cabot, clearly mortified, turned and hid her face, and Andy Byron sunk out of the frame like the guilty party in a lineup of potential perps.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2025
Loosely based on Shirley Jackson's 1959 novel of the same name — and translated to our modern age — each character is burdened with mortifying childhood memories that manifest as literal ghosts.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for mortify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mortify
Verb
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The Dodgers embarrassed them on the field and then hit the podcast circuit to shame them some more, ridiculing their defense, their baserunning, their lack of composure and even their unnecessary visits to the mound.—
Ian O'Connor,
New York Times,
1 Aug. 2025
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Big yikes: This is a sarcastic phrase to publicly mock or shame someone for a cringey comment, outfit, or behavior and is used to embarrass others in group chats or social media.—
Sherri Gordon,
Parents,
21 July 2025
Verb
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The refusal by the union to obey the order left many travelers at Toronto Pearson International Airport confused and frustrated on Aug. 17.—
Allison Lampert,
USA Today,
17 Aug. 2025
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Those news stories are confusing the timeline for the older stimulus checks.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mortify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mortify. Accessed 23 Aug. 2025.
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