Question
Updated on
17 Sep 2021
- Simplified Chinese (China)
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Question about English (US)
What is "to be mortified"? Same as "humiliated"? How serious is it? Any chance to be a good thing?
I read it somewhere, that somehow feeling sorry should be related to several emotions including what I mentioned above (probably not humiliated?) and morose maybe?
What's your opinion?
What is "to be mortified"? Same as "humiliated"? How serious is it? Any chance to be a good thing?
I read it somewhere, that somehow feeling sorry should be related to several emotions including what I mentioned above (probably not humiliated?) and morose maybe?
What's your opinion?
I read it somewhere, that somehow feeling sorry should be related to several emotions including what I mentioned above (probably not humiliated?) and morose maybe?
What's your opinion?
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- English (US)
It is similar to being humiliated, but not quite the same. It is always a bad thing. If you look at the root of the word "mort" as in "death" you can discern that it is a strong emotion/reaction. One can also be/feel mortified having witnessed something terrible that wasn't necessarily a humiliation to themselves.
I actually like this word. It's a good vocab word, and I use it from time to time.
To be mortified is to be extremely embarrassed.
I would say the difference between humiliation and embarrassment is that humiliation hurts one's dignity and embarrassment hurts one's pride. If that makes sense! A subtle difference, yet distinct, in my opinion.
I hope that helps!
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- Simplified Chinese (China)
@Sw00d Thank you! How is it related to "sorry" though?
And you like this word a lot…how do you usually use it?
And you like this word a lot…how do you usually use it?
- Simplified Chinese (China)
- English (US)
To be mortified means that you suffered extreme embarassment. Maybe you made a very embarrassing mistake, so therefore you would feel "sorry," or *regret* that embarassment; *regret* having made that mistake. If that makes sense. I don't know if you are familiar with different meanings of "sorry" in different scenarios. ("Sorry" can mean slighty different things depending on context as well. It can mean regret, it can mean apology, etc...)
I like the word "mortify/mortified" because it is a higher level of vocabulary. It means the same thing as "to be very/extremely embarrassed," but it is a more advanced and a more educated vocabulary word. It adds emphasis and variety to your speech or writing.
I'm having trouble thinking of an example of using "mortified," but here's what I can come up with: Let's say you are at an office party with your boss and co-workers, and you kept calling your boss by the wrong name, to his/her face. That would be really embarassing because you should know your boss's name. So you might say that you were "mortified" for having made that mistake, and then you would feel "sorry." You might feel sorry both for yourself, and for your boss, if the boss was offended by the fact that you didn't know their name. (There again are two slightly different ways to feel "sorry.")
Dignity and Pride. Again, these two are closely related, but they are not exactly the same thing. Dignity runs deeper than pride. It is one's inherent value and worth as a human being. We all have inherent dignity. Pride is more like your own self-image; how you think of yourself. Even if your pride is hurt (sometimes that's a good thing, because pride can be a bad thing); your dignity is intact, although people might act in ways that is beneath their dignity and therefore it wounds their image.
This is slightly philosophical and theological. It definitely goes beyond mere linguistics, because even native speakers might debate the nuances of these words. But that's my take on it!
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- Simplified Chinese (China)
@Sw00d Thank you so much! These are really helpful!
And I see the sorry part because of regret!
Also…what would hurt one's dignity then? personality wise?
And I see the sorry part because of regret!
Also…what would hurt one's dignity then? personality wise?
- English (US)
Let me just begin by saying this could potentially be a big topic, but I'll try to keep it within the boundaries of a language forum!
Have you seen the movie Forrest Gump? There is a scene in which Forrest is meeting with the President of the United States, and then he pulls down his pants and shows the president his naked bottom where he got wounded by a bullet. That was undignified. That hurt Forrest's dignity (althought he wasn't really aware of it because he is simple-minded) because you are not supposed to show people your naked bottom, let alone the President, let alone on national TV (which is what happens in the movie.) That is *one* type of dignity.
Another example would be a meeting with a president, or royalty, or heads of state. There is a high-level of behavior expected which is *dignified* behavior. You wouldn't expect the representatives at the UN to suddenly start dancing at their meeting, or toss around a beach ball, because that would be undignified.
Another thing that comes to mind is prostitution. People shouldn't sell their bodies or buy access other people's bodies because it is beneath our human dignity. Engaging in such behavior, from any side of it, is undignified. It hurts the dignity of all those who participate.
Ok, so I hope that wasn't too heavy of an answer, but that's some things that I think of when I think about what dignity means and what hurts one's dignity.
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- Simplified Chinese (China)
@Sw00d Thank you These do sound much much more severe😅I used to think pride itself could be a big deal already
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