mortal
/'mɔ:tl/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective:
- Causing or capable of causing death: Describes something that can result in the end of life.
- Subject to death: Describes beings that are destined to die, not living forever.
- Involving loss of divine grace or spiritual death: Used in a religious context to describe sins considered so grave they cause spiritual death.
Noun:
- A human being: A person, especially when emphasizing their human nature and mortality.
Usage Examples
Adjective:
- He suffered a mortal wound in the battle. (The wound was capable of causing his death.)
- All mortal creatures must face the end of life. (All beings subject to death must face it.)
- Pride is considered a mortal sin in some traditions. (It is a sin that involves spiritual death.)
Noun:
- We are mere mortals, prone to error. (We are human beings, not gods.)
- The accident was a reminder to every mortal of life's fragility. (The accident reminded every person.)
Advanced Usage
"mortal enemy": An enemy who is hated so intensely that the conflict is to the death.
- The two kings were mortal enemies for decades.
"mortal fear/terror": Extreme, paralyzing fear, as if facing death.
- She felt a mortal terror when she heard the noise in the dark house.
"mortal remains": A formal term for a dead body.
- The soldier's mortal remains were returned to his family.
Variants and Related Words
Mortality (n): The state of being subject to death; the death rate.
- The mortality rate from the disease has decreased.
Mortally (adv): In a way that causes death; fatally.
- The soldier was mortally wounded.
Immortal (adj): Opposite of mortal; living forever; not subject to death.
- The gods were considered immortal.
Synonyms
- Adjective (fatal, deadly): lethal, terminal, deathly.
- Adjective (human): earthly, perishable.
- Noun (human): human, person, individual, soul.
Related Phrases
In mortal danger: In a situation where there is a very high risk of death.
- The climbers were in mortal danger during the storm.
A mortal blow: An action or event that causes definitive defeat or destruction.
- The scandal dealt a mortal blow to his political career.
Related Idioms
"Shuffle off this mortal coil": A poetic idiom meaning to die.
- He was not ready to shuffle off this mortal coil.
"For one mortal moment": For a single, terrifying or crucial moment.
- For one mortal moment, he thought he had lost everything.
Adjective
- causing or capable of causing death
- a fatal accident
- a deadly enemy
- mortal combat
- a mortal illness
- unrelenting and deadly
- mortal enemy
- involving loss of divine grace or spiritual death
- the seven deadly sins
- subject to death
- mortal beings
Noun
- a human being
- there was too much for one person to do