different between depress vs mortify

English

Etymology

From Middle English depressen, from Old French depresser, from Latin d?pressus, perfect participle of d?prim? (“to press down, to weigh down”), from d?- (“off, away, down, out”) +? prem? (“to press”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d??p??s/
• Rhymes: -?s

Verb

depress (third-person singular simple present depresses, present participle depressing, simple past and past participle depressed)

2. To press down.

3. To make depressed, sad or bored.

4. (economics) To cause a depression or a decrease in parts of the economy.

5. To bring down or humble; to abase (pride, etc.).
6. (mathematics) To reduce (an equation) in a lower degree.

Synonyms

• downbear

Derived terms

Translations

References

• depress in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• depress in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• pressed, spersed

English

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman mortifier, Middle French mortifier, from Late Latin mortific? (“cause death”), from Latin mors (“death”) + -fic? (“-fy”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?m??t?fa?/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?m??t?fa?/

Verb

mortify (third-person singular simple present mortifies, present participle mortifying, simple past and past participle mortified)

1. (transitive) To discipline (one's body, appetites etc.) by suppressing desires; to practise abstinence on. [from 15th c.]

   Some people seek sainthood by mortifying the body.

   • 1767, Walter Harte, Eulogius: Or, The Charitable Mason

     With fasting mortify'd, worn out with tears.

   • 1688, Matthew Prior, An Ode

     Mortify thy learned lust.

   • Mortify, therefore, your members which are upon the earth.

2. (transitive, usually used passively) To embarrass, to humiliate. To injure one's dignity. [from 17th c.]

   I was so mortified I could have died right there; instead I fainted, but I swore I'd never let that happen to me again.
3. (obsolete, transitive) To kill. [14th–17th c.]
4. (obsolete, transitive) To reduce the potency of; to nullify; to deaden, neutralize. [14th–18th c.]
   • 1627, George Hakewill, Apologie […] of the Power and Providence of God

     He […] mortified them [pearls] in vineger aud drunke them vp

5. (obsolete, transitive) To kill off (living tissue etc.); to make necrotic. [15th–18th c.]
6. (obsolete, transitive) To affect with vexation, chagrin, or humiliation; to humble; to depress.
   • 22 September 1651 (date in diary), 1818 (first published), John Evelyn, John Evelyn's Diary

     the news of the fatal battle of Worcester, which exceedingly mortified our expectations

   • How often is [the ambitious man] mortified with the very praises he receives, if they do not rise so high as he thinks they ought!

7. (transitive, Scotland, law, historical) To grant in mortmain.
   • 1876 James Grant, History of the Burgh and Parish Schools of Scotland, Part II, Chapter 14, p.453 (PDF 2.7 MB):

     the schoolmasters of Ayr were paid out of the mills mortified by Queen Mary

8. (intransitive) To lose vitality.
9. (intransitive) To gangrene.
10. (intransitive) To be subdued.

Synonyms

• (to discipline oneself by suppressing desires): macerate
• (to injure one's dignity): demean, humiliate, shame

Antonyms

• (to injure one's dignity): dignify, honor

Related terms

• mortification

Translations