as in humiliating
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as in embarrassing
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress
was mortified by her children's atrocious manners
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Recent Examples of mortifying
Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
Even more fortunately, TJ also has a real, if mortifying, alibi.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
The answer might be a mortifying surprise.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2025
The mortifying moment comes at a time when international tourism continues to rebound strongly despite global uncertainty.
—Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
What feels energizing to one person can feel mortifying to another.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026
The graduation ceremony and the reception afterward are cute and heartwarming for the grown-ups, bittersweet and mortifying for the kids, who skive off to smoke some of Ed’s high-test weed and have a little Texas Forever moment, toasting their enduring friendships.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
Classmates saw the sign while riding by Goepper’s home on the school bus, mortifying the teenage Goepper.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 18 Feb. 2026
Ursula Lindsey The Norwegian writer Vigdis Hjorth has a gift for depicting painful, confusing, and mortifying relationships.
—Joanna Walsh, The New York Review of Books, 15 Nov. 2025
And that display from our fans was mortifying.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
One particularly mortifying episode from the past haunts Hally.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
Even more fortunately, TJ also has a real, if mortifying, alibi.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
The answer might be a mortifying surprise.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2025
The mortifying moment comes at a time when international tourism continues to rebound strongly despite global uncertainty.
—Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
What feels energizing to one person can feel mortifying to another.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Verb
Baby Reindeer was hardly a laugh riot, but mortifying humor is still humor and, with episodic running times in the 30-minute range, the show had a charging, unpredictable momentum.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 21 Apr. 2026
The graduation ceremony and the reception afterward are cute and heartwarming for the grown-ups, bittersweet and mortifying for the kids, who skive off to smoke some of Ed’s high-test weed and have a little Texas Forever moment, toasting their enduring friendships.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2026
Classmates saw the sign while riding by Goepper’s home on the school bus, mortifying the teenage Goepper.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 18 Feb. 2026
Ursula Lindsey The Norwegian writer Vigdis Hjorth has a gift for depicting painful, confusing, and mortifying relationships.
—Joanna Walsh, The New York Review of Books, 15 Nov. 2025
And that display from our fans was mortifying.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mortifying
Adjective
-
But the pitcher who delivered the best start of this series against the San Francisco Giants, and the one that stood tall between the Giants and what would have been a humiliating sweep, was Tyler Glasnow.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
He was too fried from holding a bucket in the air and humiliating Jeff.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Tragicomedy repeats as embarrassing parody.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The Charlotte Checkers opened the AHL playoffs with a bang Wednesday, embarrassing the Springfield Thunderbirds in the opening game of the teams’ first-round AHL playoff series in Charlotte.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Being on an island starving is very humbling.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Those listeners are the ones who are our backbone, which is very humbling.—
Erik Pedersen,
Oc Register,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Welcome to Asking for a Friend, a weekly series dedicated to solving the messy, awkward, and confusing parts of modern friendship.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
22 Apr. 2026
-
But factors like confusing trailheads and limited provisions mean that going alone also comes with unique risks.—
Allison Forsyth,
Health,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
There’s an adjustment period — percale can feel crisp at first — but most people acclimate within a week or two and find cotton softens further with every wash, rather than pilling or degrading like synthetics.—
Allison Palmer,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Most people acclimate within a week or two, and cotton gets softer with every wash rather than pilling or degrading.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Her pictures, which start innocently enough from the puppy-dog idea, get increasingly demeaning.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Leadership was abusive, inappropriate and demeaning, employees told The Denver Post.—
Sam Tabachnik,
Denver Post,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mortifying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mortifying. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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