v. 使某人感到非常尴尬、羞愧或难堪;也可指克制、压制某种欲望或身体冲动,多见于宗教或正式语境。
/ˈmɔːrtɪfaɪ/
His rude comment mortified her.
他粗鲁的评论让她感到非常难堪。
She was mortified when she realized that everyone had heard her private conversation.
当她意识到所有人都听到了她的私人谈话时,她羞愧极了。
来自中古英语和古法语,源头是拉丁语 mortificare,由 mors “死亡”相关词根和 facere “使、做”组成,原意接近“使之死亡”。后来在宗教语境中表示“克制肉体欲望”,再发展出“使羞愧、使难堪”的现代常用义。