mortifying

adjective
UK: /ˈmɔːtɪfaɪɪŋ/
US: /ˈmɔːrtɪfaɪɪŋ/

  1. Causing great embarrassment or shame.

    1. It was mortifying to forget her name completely.
    2. The mortifying incident at the party still haunts me.

Synonyms

humiliating embarrassing shaming degrading
mortifying verb

  1. Present participle of mortify: to cause someone to feel extremely embarrassed or ashamed.

    1. He was mortifying his mother with his bad behavior.
    2. She kept mortifying me by pointing out my mistakes in public.

  2. To subdue or deaden (the body, desires, etc.) especially through self-discipline or self-inflicted pain.

    1. He was mortifying his flesh through fasting and prayer.
    2. The monks practiced mortifying the body to purify the soul.

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "mortifying" is /ˈmɔːtɪfaɪɪŋ/ in British English and /ˈmɔːrtɪfaɪɪŋ/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "mortifying": humiliating, embarrassing, shaming, degrading.

Example usage of "mortifying": "It was mortifying to forget her name completely.". More examples on the page.