mortify

Word family

mor·ti·fy /ˈmɔːtɪfaɪ $ ˈmɔːr-/ verb (mortified, mortifying, mortifies) [transitiveT]

1. to cause someone to feel extremely embarrassed or ashamed 使深感窘迫[丢脸]

2. mortify the flesh/yourself formalRR to try to control your natural physical desires and needs by making your body suffer pain 克制肉欲／克己

Examples from the Corpus

mortify the flesh/yourself• We may imagine an ascetic who consistently chooses the sour instead of the sweet apple, in order to mortify the flesh.

—mortifying adjectiveadj

Examples from the Corpus

mortify• Other scholars heard that he was unwell and sent him notes made remote by their instinct that his straits must mortify him.• As a teenager, making any mistake socially would have mortified me.• We may imagine an ascetic who consistently chooses the sour instead of the sweet apple, in order to mortify the flesh.

Origin mortify

(1300-1400) Old French mortifier, from Latin mors; → MORTAL1

Chinese

Syllable

Corpus