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Definition of mortalnext
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mortal

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective mortal differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of mortal are deadly, fatal, and lethal. While all these words mean "causing or capable of causing death," mortal implies that death has occurred or is inevitable.

a mortal wound

When might deadly be a better fit than mortal?

While in some cases nearly identical to mortal, deadly applies to an established or very likely cause of death.

a deadly disease

When is fatal a more appropriate choice than mortal?

The words fatal and mortal can be used in similar contexts, but fatal stresses the inevitability of what has in fact resulted in death or destruction.

fatal consequences

Where would lethal be a reasonable alternative to mortal?

In some situations, the words lethal and mortal are roughly equivalent. However, lethal applies to something that is bound to cause death or exists for the destruction of life.

lethal gas

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mortal
Adjective
These will be organized into a series of categories based on thematic body types, including the naked body, the classical body, the pregnant body, the aging body, the anatomical body, and the mortal body. José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 1 May 2026 But James has been much more mortal in the two games since, and the Lakers have lost both. Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Noun
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, literature will outlast the foibles of misguided mortals. Charlie Tyson, The Atlantic, 27 Apr. 2026 Everflame is set in a world where mortals live in poverty, subjugated by an elite race known as the Descended. Denise Petski, Deadline, 17 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mortal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mortal
Adjective
  • Prosecutors also displayed the internet search history from Richins’ phone, which included queries about the lethal dose of fentanyl, luxury prisons and how poisoning is marked on a death certificate.
    Hannah Schoenbaum, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026
  • In a letter last month, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration notified federal grant recipients that the government would no longer pay for test strips and kits that help drug users see if their drugs contain highly-lethal additives.
    Mike Stobbe, Fortune, 13 May 2026
Adjective
  • Hassane spoke at the afternoon news conference about the deadly attack at his institution this morning, decrying the conditions that could create such violence.
    Dennis Romero, NBC news, 19 May 2026
  • The most severe form of Legionella bacteria infection leads to Legionnaires’ disease, a serious and potentially deadly type of pneumonia, the CDC says.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
Adjective
  • To survive these transformations, rich states have resorted among other things to the ever greater exploitation, not only of poor states, but also of the human and ecological capital housed within them.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
  • After a sensational playoff run, including his Game 7 heroics in Tampa, Dobeš has looked more human of late.
    Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 17 May 2026
Adjective
  • Women, people of color, and first-generation professionals were too often told their accurate perceptions of hostile environments were merely internal distortions.
    Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks, Fortune, 13 May 2026
  • Others, like Michael (Doon Mackichan), seem openly hostile.
    Keith Phipps, Vulture, 13 May 2026
Noun
  • At least one person was killed by a gunman at the Islamic Center of San Diego today, the Council on American-Islamic Relations said in a statement.
    Dennis Romero, NBC news, 19 May 2026
  • Clark attended an elementary and a middle school in person at the district, but following the pandemic his family enrolled him online schooling full time, Canning said.
    Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2026
Adjective
  • Graham himself would also be out of luck if past Trump criticism were always politically fatal.
    Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 19 May 2026
  • Moments after a security guard broke up the beating and the teenagers scattered, the 13-year-old came upon David and his girlfriend at the fountain plaza next to the theaters where the fatal stabbing took place.
    Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 19 May 2026
Adjective
  • Thinking him either dead or, worse, suicidal, she’d screamed, which inopportunely woke him up.
    Weike Wang, New Yorker, 17 May 2026
  • Two pedestrians — Jason Negron, 46, and Michael Saint-Hilaire, 35, both of Manhattan — were pronounced dead at the hospital, police said.
    Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 16 May 2026
Adjective
  • However, Chloe later admitted that, despite their best efforts, her parents’ divorce — and the rumors and publicity surrounding it — did have a negative effect on her.
    Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
  • So none of the negative press circling around him manifested as a problem in your working relationship?
    Zak Cheney-Rice, Vulture, 13 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Mortal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mortal. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

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