mortal
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.living things that cannot live forever and will eventually die.
adj.subject to death; having a finite lifespan as a biological necessity.
Simple“All living creatures are mortal and will one day pass away.”
In context“The poet reflects on our mortal nature, contrasting the brief span of human life with the enduring beauty of the natural world.”
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.something that causes death, like a very serious wound or injury.
adj.causing or liable to cause death; fatal or lethal in effect.
Simple“The soldier received a mortal wound during the final battle.”
In context“The knight collapsed after sustaining a mortal blow that no physician of the era could hope to treat.”
Antonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
adj.used to describe a very strong feeling, like a great fear or a serious enemy.
adj.extreme, intense, or unrelenting; often used to describe human emotions or rivalries that last until death.
Simple“The two families had been mortal enemies for many generations.”
In context“He was seized by a mortal terror as the shadow moved across the window, paralyzing him where he stood.”
Synonyms - 04 C2 Proficiency
adj.extremely drunk from drinking too much alcohol.
adj.highly intoxicated; a regional slang term used primarily in parts of the UK.
Simple“He went out for one drink and ended up absolutely mortal.”
In context“After the wedding reception, half the guests were completely mortal and had to be helped into taxis.”
- 05 C1 Advanced
adj.in some religions, a very serious wrong act that separates a person from God.
adj.denoting a grave sin that is believed to cause the death of grace in the soul.
Simple“In the church's teaching, stealing a large amount of money is a mortal sin.”
In context“The theologian argued that for a transgression to be considered a mortal sin, it must involve grave matter and full consent of the will.”
- 06 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a human being, especially when compared to a god or someone who lives forever.
n.a human being, as distinct from a divine or immortal entity.
Simple“The secret was too powerful for any mere mortal to know.”
In context“The ancient myths often depict gods descending from the heavens to interfere in the messy affairs of ordinary mortals.”
“Are they an army of mortals, gods, automatons or lines of code?”
From Middle English mortal, mortel, from Old French mortal, and their source Latin mortālis, from mors (“death”). In this sense, displaced native deadly, from Old English dēadlīċ.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.