Mortify

• POS: Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: mor=ti=fy

CIDE DICTIONARY

Mortify, v. t. [OE. mortifien, F. mortifier, fr. L. mortificare; L. mors, mortis, death + -ficare (in comp.) to make. See Mortal, and -fy.].

•  To destroy the organic texture and vital functions of; to produce gangrene in.  [1913 Webster]
•  To destroy the active powers or essential qualities of; to change by chemical action.  Chaucer.  [1913 Webster]

  "Quicksilver is mortified with turpentine."  [1913 Webster]

  "He mortified pearls in vinegar."  [1913 Webster]
•  To deaden by religious or other discipline, as the carnal affections, bodily appetites, or worldly desires; to bring into subjection; to abase; to humble; as, to mortify the flesh.  [1913 Webster]

  "With fasting mortified, worn out with tears."  [1913 Webster]

  "Mortify thy learned lust."  [1913 Webster]

  "Mortify, therefore, your members which are upon the earth."  [1913 Webster]
•  To affect with vexation, chagrin; to depress.  [1913 Webster]

  "The news of the fatal battle of Worcester, which exceedingly mortified our expectations."  [1913 Webster]

  "How often is the ambitious man mortified with the very praises he receives, if they do not rise so high as he thinks they ought!"  [1913 Webster]
•  To humiliate deeply, especially by injuring the pride of; to embarrass painfully; to humble; as, the team was mortified to lose by 45 to 0.  [1913 Webster]

Mortify, v. i. 

•  To lose vitality and organic structure, as flesh of a living body; to gangrene.  [1913 Webster]
•  To practice penance from religious motives; to deaden desires by religious discipline.  [1913 Webster]

  "This makes him . . . give alms of all that he hath, watch, fast, and mortify."  [1913 Webster]
•  To be subdued; to decay, as appetites, desires, etc.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Mortify, v. (-ies, -ied)
1 tr. a cause (a person) to feel shamed or humiliated. b wound (a person's feelings).
2 tr. bring (the body, the flesh, the passions, etc.) into subjection by self-denial or discipline.
3 intr. (of flesh) be affected by gangrene or necrosis.

Derivative

mortification n. mortifying adj. mortifyingly adv.

Etymology

ME f. OF mortifier f. eccl.L mortificare kill, subdue f. mors mortis death

THESAURUS

Mortify

abash, break up, bring down, canker, cast down, castigate, chagrin, chasten, confound, confuse, control, corrupt, crumble, crumble into dust, crush, decay, decompose, deflate, degrade, discipline, discomfit, discompose, disconcert, disgrace, disintegrate, disturb, downgrade, embarrass, fall into decay, fall to pieces, fester, gangrene, go bad, go to pieces, humble, humiliate, let down, mildew, mold, molder, necrose, punish, put down, put out, put to shame, putrefy, putresce, rankle, rebuff, reduce, rot, shame, sphacelate, spoil, subdue, subjugate, suppress, suppurate, throw into confusion, upset

ROGET THESAURUS

Mortify

Painfulness

VB cause pain, occasion pain, give pain, bring pain, induce pain, produce pain, create pain, inflict pain, pain, hurt, wound, pinch, prick, gripe, pierce, lancinate, cut, hurt the feelings, wound the feelings, grate upon the feelings, grate upon the nerves, jar upon the feelings, wring the heart, pierce the heart, lacerate the heart, break the heart, rend the heart, make the heart bleed, tear the heart strings, rend the heart strings, draw tears from the eyes, sadden, make unhappy, plunge into sorrow, grieve, fash, afflict, distress, cut up, cut to the heart, displease, annoy, incommode, discompose, trouble, disquiet, faze, feaze, feeze, disturb, cross, perplex, molest, tease, tire, irk, vex, mortify, wherret, worry, plague, bother, pester, bore, pother, harass, harry, badger, heckle, bait, beset, infest, persecute, importune, wring, harrow, torment, torture, bullyrag, put to the rack, put to the question, break on the wheel, rack, scarify, cruciate, crucify, convulse, agonize, barb the dart, plant a dagger in the breast, plant a thorn in one's side, irritate, provoke, sting, nettle, try the patience, pique, fret, rile, tweak the nose, chafe, gall, sting to the quick, wound to the quick, cut to the quick, aggrieve, affront, enchafe, enrage, ruffle, sour the temper, give offense, maltreat, bite, snap at, assail, smite, sicken, disgust, revolt, nauseate, disenchant, repel, offend, shock, stink in the nostrils, go against the stomach, turn the stomach, make one sick, set the teeth on edge, go against the grain, grate on the ear, stick in one's throat, stick in one's gizzard, rankle, gnaw, corrode, horrify, appal, appall, freeze the blood, make the flesh creep, make the hair stand on end, make the blood curdle, make the blood run cold, make one shudder, haunt the memory, weigh on the heart, prey on the heart, weigh on the mind, prey on the mind, weigh on the spirits, prey on the spirits, bring one's gray hairs with sorrow to the grave, add a nail to one's coffin.

Discontent

VB be discontented, quarrel with one's bread and butter, repine, regret, wish one at the bottom of the Red Sea, take on, take to heart, shrug the shoulders, make a wry face, pull a long face, knit one's brows, look blue, look black, look black as thunder, look blank, look glum, take in bad part, take ill, fret, chafe, make a piece of work, grumble, croak, lament, cause discontent, dissatisfy, disappoint, mortify, put out, disconcert, cut up, dishearten.

Humility

VB be humble, deign, vouchsafe, condescend, humble oneself, demean oneself, stoop, stoop to conquer, carry coals, submit, submit with a good grace, yield the palm, lower one's tone, lower one's note, sing small, draw in one's horns, sober down, hide one's face, hide one's diminished head, not dare to show one's face, take shame to oneself, not have a word to say for oneself, feel shame, be conscious of shame, feel disgrace, be conscious of disgrace, drink the cup of humiliation to the dregs, blush for, blush up to the eves, redden, change color, color up, hang one's head, look foolish, feel small, render humble, humble, humiliate, let down, set down, take down, tread down, frown down, snub, abash, abase, make one sing small, strike dumb, teach one his distance, put down, take down a peg, take down a peg lower, throw into the shade, cast into the shade, stare out of countenance, put out of countenance, put to the blush, confuse, ashame, mortify, disgrace, crush, send away with a flea in one's ear, get a setdown.