English · Word Candidate

mortal

/ˈmɔː.təl/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: mortals

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Susceptible to death by aging, sickness, injury, or wound; not immortal.

Adjective

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

Causing death; deadly, fatal, killing, lethal (now only of wounds, injuries etc.).

Adjective

Blyndfold he was; and in his cruell fist A mortall bow and arrowes keene did hold […]

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

A human; someone susceptible to death.

Noun

Her wisdom was beyond that of a mere mortal.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Meaning · English

Mortally; enough to cause death.

AdverbRegister: colloquial

It's mortal cold out there.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

What does “mortal” mean?

Susceptible to death by aging, sickness, injury, or wound; not immortal.

Is “mortal” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.