Mortal — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective adverb noun /ˈmȯr-tᵊl/ mor·tal

Meaning & Definition of Mortal

Mortal (adjective)

  1. causing or having caused death, fatal —often used figuratively
  2. subject to death
  3. possibly causing or resulting in death

Mortal (adverb)

  1. mortally

Mortal (noun)

  1. a human being

Mortal (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. likely to cause or capable of causing death

    "a mortal wound"

    similar: baleful, deadly, deathly, fatal, fell, killer, lethal, murderous, pestilent, terminal, vital
    related: baneful, deleterious, destructive, harmful, injurious, noxious, pernicious, truculent, infectious, infective, pestilential, poisonous, sublethal, toxic, virulent, dangerous, grave, grievous, hazardous, jeopardizing, menacing, parlous, perilous, risky, serious, threatening, ugly, unhealthy, unsound, bloody, internecine, sanguinary, sanguine
    opposite: healthful, healthy, nonfatal, nonlethal, wholesome
    near: beneficial, restorative, salubrious, salutary, alleviative, corrective, curative, remedial, tonic, advantageous, useful, nonpoisonous, nontoxic, safe

  2. of, relating to, or suggestive of death

    "a wounded soldier writhing in mortal agony"

    similar: dead, deadly, deathly, mortuary
    related: cadaverous, ghostlike, ghostly, phantom, spectral, inactive, inert, inoperative, lifeless, quiescent, still, macabre, baleful, fatal, fateful, fell, killer, lethal, murderous, pestilent
    near: active, alive, animate, breathing, live, living, animated, bouncing, brisk, energetic, frisky, gay, jaunty, jazzy, lively, peppy, perky, pert, racy, snappy, spanking, sparky, spirited, sprightful, sprightly, springy, vigorous, vital, vivacious, zippy, able-bodied, chipper, fit, hale, healthy, hearty, robust, sound, well, whole, wholesome

  3. relating to or characteristic of human beings

    "just an ordinary guy with all the usual mortal limitations"

    similar: earthborn, human, natural
    related: anthropoid, creatural, hominid, humanlike, humanoid
    opposite: nonhuman
    near: angelic, divine, godlike, preternatural, superhuman, supernatural, supernormal, immortal, omnipotent, omniscient, animal, beastly, bestial, brute, infrahuman, inhuman, robotic, subhuman

  4. marked by opposition or ill will

    "have always had a mortal aversion to narcissistic people"

    similar: adversarial, adversary, antagonistic, antipathetic, hostile, inhospitable, inimical, jaundiced, negative, unfriendly, unsympathetic
    related: adverse, argumentative, bellicose, belligerent, clashing, combative, conflicting, contentious, contrary, disputatious, militant, opposed, pugnacious, quarrelsome, resisting, scrappy, truculent, antisocial, cold, cool, disagreeable, disapproving, distant, frigid, icy, biased, prejudiced, discourteous, ill-bred, ill-mannered, impertinent, impolite, inconsiderate, rude, surly, uncivil, unfavorable, unkind, unmannerly, unpleasant, unsociable, acrimonious, bitter, despiteful, hateful, malevolent, malicious, malign, malignant, opprobrious, rancorous, spiteful, unloving, vindictive, virulent
    opposite: friendly, hospitable, nonantagonistic, nonhostile, sympathetic
    near: affable, amiable, amicable, civil, companionable, comradely, convivial, cordial, genial, good-natured, good-tempered, gracious, gregarious, neighborly, pleasant, sociable, social, warm, affectionate, devoted, kind, kindly, loving, nice, sweet, accepting, agreeable, approving, benign, empathetic, favorable, understanding, warmhearted, welcoming

Mortal (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a member of the human race

    "just an ordinary mortal living an ordinary life"

    similar: baby, being, bird, bod (British), body, character, cookie, creature, customer, devil, duck, egg, face, fish, guy, head, human, human being, individual, life, man, party, person, personage, scout, slob, sort, soul, specimen, stiff, thing, wight, son of man
    related: hominid, homo, humanoid, brother, fellow, fellowman, neighbor, celebrity, personality, self, somebody
    near: animal, beast, beastie, brute, critter

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Mortal

The most common words with a similar meaning to Mortal:

British: bod
baleful, deadly, deathly, fatal, fell, killer, lethal, murderous, pestilent, terminal, vital, dead, mortuary, earthborn, human, natural, adversarial, adversary, antagonistic, antipathetic, hostile, inhospitable, inimical, jaundiced, negative, unfriendly, unsympathetic, baby, being, bird, body, character, cookie, creature, customer, devil, duck, egg, face, fish

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Mortal

Words with the opposite meaning of Mortal:

healthful, healthy, nonfatal, nonlethal, wholesome, nonhuman, friendly, hospitable, nonantagonistic, nonhostile, sympathetic

Related Words for Mortal

baneful, deleterious, destructive, harmful, injurious, noxious, pernicious, truculent, infectious, infective, pestilential, poisonous, sublethal, toxic, virulent, dangerous, grave, grievous, hazardous, jeopardizing, menacing, parlous, perilous, risky, serious, threatening, ugly, unhealthy, unsound, bloody

Near Antonyms of Mortal

beneficial, restorative, salubrious, salutary, alleviative, corrective, curative, remedial, tonic, advantageous, useful, nonpoisonous, nontoxic, safe, active, alive, animate, breathing, live, living, animated, bouncing, brisk, energetic, frisky, gay, jaunty, jazzy, lively, peppy

Origin & Etymology of Mortal

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French mortel, mortal, borrowed from Latin mortālis "subject to death, appropriate to humans (as opposed to gods), human, subject to decay, transitory," from mort-, mors "death" + -ālis -al:1 murder:1

First known use: 14th century

Words & Phrases Containing Mortal

mortal mind, mortal sin, mortal combat, mortal enemy, mortal foe/rival, mortal remains

Frequently Asked Questions about Mortal

What does "Mortal" mean?

"Mortal" means causing or having caused death, fatal —often used figuratively. As an an adjective, an adverb and a noun, it is defined as: causing or having caused death, fatal —often used figuratively. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Mortal"?

Other words for "Mortal" include baleful, deadly, deathly, fatal, fell, killer, lethal and murderous. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Mortal" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Mortal"?

There are 172 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Mortal". Common alternatives include baleful, deadly, deathly, fatal, fell, killer, lethal, murderous, pestilent and terminal.

What is the opposite of "Mortal"?

Antonyms of "Mortal" include healthful, healthy, nonfatal, nonlethal, wholesome, nonhuman, friendly and hospitable. Near antonyms include beneficial, restorative, salubrious and salutary.

How do you use "Mortal" in a sentence?

Examples of "Mortal" in a sentence: "a mortal wound"; "a wounded soldier writhing in mortal agony"; "just an ordinary guy with all the usual mortal limitations".

Is "Mortal" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Mortal" can be used as an adjective, an adverb and a noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Mortal"?

"Mortal" is pronounced /ˈmȯr-tᵊl/ and divided into syllables as mor·tal.

What is the origin of the word "Mortal"?

"Mortal" comes from Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French mortel, mortal, borrowed from Latin mortālis "subject to death, appropriate to humans (as opposed to gods), human, subject to decay, transitory," from mort-, mors "death" + -ālis -al:1 murder:1. First known use: 14th century.