mortal
Definitions
Subject to death; unable to live forever
终有一死的；难逃一死的
Causing death; fatal (of a wound, blow, or danger)
致命的（指伤口、打击或危险）
A human being, especially as contrasted with a god or immortal
凡人（尤指与神或不朽者相对）
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedmort (death) + -al (relating to) = 'relating to death,' i.e. destined to die. From that core sense English derives two everyday uses: as an adjective it can mean 'destined to die' (mortal beings) or 'causing death' (a mortal wound); as a noun it means simply 'a human,' one of the creatures that die.
Root mort still carries 24 more wordsCommon Collocations
- 1.mortal wound致命伤
- 2.mortal enemy死敌
- 3.mortal sin不可饶恕的罪
- 4.mortal danger致命危险
- 5.mere mortal凡夫俗子
Example Sentences
- 1.
All living creatures are mortal and must one day die.
- 2.
He suffered a mortal wound in the battle and died hours later.
- 3.
In the myth, a goddess falls in love with an ordinary mortal.
- 4.
The two families have been mortal enemies for generations.
Easily Confused
mortal vs fatal — both can mean 'deadly,' but mortal more often describes the inherent state of being able to die (mortal beings) or names the human (a mere mortal), while fatal describes an outcome that actually causes death (a fatal accident, a fatal mistake). You die of a fatal injury; a mortal wound is one capable of killing you.