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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
The Bernabeu is one ground where City have looked especially mortal on recent visits, having conceded twice in quick succession at the start of a quarter-final’s first leg last season. Liam Tharme, The Athletic, 12 Feb. 2025 Prosecutors said that is an unusually high number of victories, because dogs often suffer mortal injuries during brutal fights. Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 26 Mar. 2025
Noun
Correct? Not for the first time, Guardiola laughed in the face of mere mortals who dared to predict his tactical setup. Mark Carey, The Athletic, 19 Jan. 2025 Centers and satellites are still the idea; above him float several squares within circles, and as the geometric shapes get smaller and more central the figures within get more important—not mortals but minor deities, not minor deities but the big guy, Vajrabhairava. Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mortal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mortal
Adjective
  • When carboxyhemoglobin saturation exceeds 50%, it is considered lethal.
    CBS News, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2025
  • Astronauts on a mission to Mars lasting several years would be exposed to potentially lethal amounts of radiation, Pitts said.
    Joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating what led to the deadly incident.
    Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Trump has attempted to crack down on pro-Palestinian campus protests against U.S. ally Israel's devastating military assault on Gaza, which has caused a humanitarian crisis in the enclave and followed a deadly October 2023 attack by Islamist group Hamas.
    Steve Holland and Kanishka Singh, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Conspicuously anglo human characters resemble the generic design often seen in low-rent CG fare produced overseas: large heads with pristine skin and pronounced facial features.
    Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Her decision to turn down the Apple beat at the Journal in 2007, the year the iPhone was released, in order to pursue an M.F.A. in fiction propels an exploration of how much human creativity depends on the ideas and labor of others.
    Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Home to one of the world’s largest refugee populations – most of them from Afghanistan – Pakistan has not always welcomed the foreigners, subjecting them to hostile living conditions and threatening deportation over the years.
    Sophia Saifi, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Andreas typically waits until there have been three instances of potential hostile communication before asking her friend or colleague if everything is OK.
    Angela Haupt, Time, 28 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Had Melanie Robinson survived, the 38-year-old mother would have been arrested on capital murder of a person under 10 years old in the death of her baby, Jonas Allen.
    Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Apr. 2025
  • More than 200 attendees in person and online showed up March 24 for the launch of the EndurANT Movement, founded by Encinitas residents Neal and Samara Tricarico one year after their 16-year-old son Anthony died by suicide.
    Luke Harold, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Black lung, a debilitating and often fatal condition caused by inhalation of coal and silica dust during mining, affects roughly 1 in 5 miners who have worked in the Central Appalachian mines for twenty-five years or more, according to NIOSH.
    Dr. Mark Abdelmalek, ABC News, 10 Apr. 2025
  • The day of the fatal fall, Goodwin said Bass had checked on Tidus and his brother minutes prior, and then had stepped outside with the dog.
    Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Matthew Terrell Collins Sr., 58, and Matthew Terrell Collins Jr., 29, were pronounced dead at the scene around 6:06 p.m.
    David Matthews, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2025
  • On the second day of the year, police responded to a call where a father and his son and daughter were found dead.
    Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Past officials have warned of the potential negative impact of tariffs for months as the Trump administration charged forward.
    Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 5 Apr. 2025
  • Last month, Moody’s Ratings downgraded its outlook for the higher education sector from stable to negative, citing how federal policy changes have created a more difficult operating environment for colleges and universities.
    Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Mortal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mortal. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

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