how mortifying

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "how mortifying" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to express a strong sense of embarrassment or shame about a situation or event. Example: "When I tripped and fell in front of everyone, I thought to myself, how mortifying that was."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

How mortifying.

Independent

(I can only imagine how mortifying this was for Rebecca).

The New York Times

For Toback, this moment in the Cannes sun (or rather, given the current weather, rain) might well be his calling card back to the big time - although it is a measure of how mortifying the business can be that a director like him needs a calling card.

The Guardian - Film

But first, the Yule Ball serves up a John Hughes-worthy interlude of teen angst over who's going with whom and how mortifying dancing with the opposite sex will be.

Vice

Anyone who has ever attempted sex talk over Facebook chat will be familiar with the recycling of formulaic terms heard in porn, mawkishly guessing what the other person wants to hear, and how mortifying an experience it would be if those clumsy but personal fantasies were exposed.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

Equally as mortifying was how we ignored the commercial environment surrounding us.

Huffington Post

How I Lost It: Mortified, I went back to my office and saw a Weight Watchers at Work sign.

Huffington Post

Luckily for me, my sister is a lot more patient with the Netflix queue than I am, hence how I landed on "Mortified Nation".

Huffington Post

Mortified upon seeing how he would be remembered posthumously, the (younger and then still alive) Mr. Nobel reconsidered his impact on the world and decided shortly thereafter to establish the now-world-famous set of international awards.

HuffPost

During a Q&A session at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, Ringwald tells a story about how her musical background led to her "mortifying" first meeting with Hughes.

Huffington Post

Oh, American pop culture... how you never cease to amaze and mortify me on a daily basis.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "how mortifying" to express a strong, often sudden, feeling of embarrassment or shame regarding a particular event or realization. Ensure the context clearly establishes the cause of the mortification.

Common error

Avoid using "how mortifying" for mildly awkward situations. Reserve it for events that cause significant discomfort or shame.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "how mortifying" primarily functions as an exclamation expressing a subjective reaction to an event or situation. As Ludwig examples shows, it is often used to convey a sudden realization of the embarrassing nature of something.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "how mortifying" is a grammatically sound and infrequent expression used to convey a strong feeling of embarrassment, shame, or humiliation. According to Ludwig, it's primarily found in news and media contexts. When writing, reserve it for situations that warrant a significant level of discomfort, and be mindful of its intensity to avoid overuse. Consider alternatives like "deeply embarrassing" or "utterly humiliating" to convey similar sentiments with different nuances.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

so mortifying

A shorter, more direct way to express the same sentiment.

deeply embarrassing

Emphasizes the depth of the embarrassment felt.

exceptionally embarrassing

Stresses the unusual degree of embarrassment.

awfully embarrassing

Uses a more informal intensifier to describe the embarrassment.

utterly humiliating

Focuses on the act of humiliation rather than the feeling itself.

painfully humiliating

Highlights the painful aspect of the humiliating experience.

incredibly shameful

Highlights the feeling of shame associated with the situation.

remarkably shameful

Stresses the unusual degree of shame.

terribly awkward

Focuses on the discomfort and lack of ease in the situation.

simply dreadful

Expresses a general feeling of negativity and discomfort, including but not only embarassment.

FAQs

What does "how mortifying" mean?

The phrase "how mortifying" expresses a strong feeling of embarrassment, shame, or humiliation about something that has happened or been realized.

When is it appropriate to use the phrase "how mortifying"?

Use "how mortifying" when describing a situation that causes you significant discomfort, shame, or humiliation. It's best reserved for moments of intense embarrassment.

What are some alternatives to "how mortifying"?

You can use alternatives like "deeply embarrassing", "utterly humiliating", or "incredibly shameful", depending on the context.

Is "how mortifying" grammatically correct?

Yes, "how mortifying" is grammatically correct and commonly used to express a strong sense of embarrassment or shame. Ludwig confirms this with real-world examples.