mortify
Cause intense shame
To mortify is to cause deep embarrassment or shame: I was mortified when I realized I'd been talking to the wrong person for ten minutes.
The word carries a sense of wounded dignity—stronger than mere embarrassment.
In older religious usage, to mortify the flesh meant to subdue bodily desires through discipline or self-denial.
Mortified flesh in medical contexts is dead or gangrenous tissue.
Cause social discomfort
- shamePainful awareness of failure
- chagrinDistress from wounded pride
- abashCause acute discomfort
- disgraceLoss of honor
demean · crush · deflate · discomfit · belittle · ridicule · degrade · abase
Tissue death from bloodlessness
- necrosisLocalized cell death
- rotOrganic breakdown process
- putrefyDecompose with stench
- decomposeBreak into simpler parts
fester · wither · atrophy · deteriorate · sepsis · infection · blacken · slough
Restraining one's own desires
- fastingDeliberate food avoidance
- abstinenceVoluntary forgoing of indulgences
- penanceSelf-mortification for wrongdoing
- flagellationBeating with a whip
austerity · self-discipline · chastity · celibacy · sackcloth · hair-shirt · purification · renunciation
embarrass
Cause social discomfort
disgrace · demean · crush · deflate · discomfit · belittle · ridicule · degrade · abase · stigmatize
gangrene
Tissue death from bloodlessness
decompose · fester · wither · atrophy · deteriorate · sepsis · infection · blacken · slough · deaden
self-denial
Restraining one's own desires
- fastingDeliberate food avoidance
- abstinenceVoluntary forgoing of indulgences
- penanceSelf-mortification for wrongdoing
flagellation · austerity · self-discipline · chastity · celibacy · sackcloth · hair-shirt · purification · renunciation · self-punishment
suppress
Forcibly put an end to
discipline · deny · conquer · overcome · master · subjugate · tame · quell · stifle · check
- embarrassmentembarrassed, blush, humiliated, ashamed, humiliate
- bring downbring down, take down, pull down, tear down, knock down
- outdo someoneoutshine, outclass, outdo, eclipse, surpass
- degradebelittle, demean, humiliate, degrade, debase