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Mortal vs Perpetual - What's the difference?

mortal | perpetual |

As adjectives the difference between mortal and perpetual

is that mortal is susceptible to death by aging, sickness, injury, or wound; not immortal while perpetual is lasting forever, or for an indefinitely long time.

As a noun mortal

is a human; someone susceptible to death.

mortal

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Susceptible to death by aging, sickness, injury, or wound; not immortal.
  • * 1883 , (Robert Louis Stevenson), :
  • I was in mortal fear lest the captain should repent of his confessions and make an end of me.
  • Causing death; deadly, fatal, killing, lethal (now only of wounds, injuries etc.).
  • * 1590 , (Edmund Spenser), The Faerie Queene , III.11:
  • Blyndfold he was; and in his cruell fist / A mortall bow and arrowes keene did hold […].
  • Fatally vulnerable; vital.
  • * Milton
  • Last of all, against himself he turns his sword, but missing the mortal place, with his poniard finishes the work.
  • Of or relating to the time of death.
  • * Alexander Pope
  • Safe in the hand of one disposing Power, / Or in the natal or the mortal hour.
  • Affecting as if with power to kill; deathly.
  • * Dryden
  • The nymph grew pale, and in a mortal fright.
  • * mortal enemy
  • Human; belonging to man, who is mortal.
  • mortal''' wit or knowledge; '''mortal power
  • * Milton
  • The voice of God / To mortal ear is dreadful.
  • Very painful or tedious; wearisome.
  • a sermon lasting two mortal hours
    (Sir Walter Scott)
  • (UK, slang) Very drunk; wasted; smashed.
  • Let's go out and get mortal !

    Derived terms

    * mortality * mortal sin

    Synonyms

    * (causing death) fatal, lethal, baneful

    Antonyms

    * (susceptible to death) immortal, everlasting * (of or relating to death) natal

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A human; someone susceptible to death.
  • :
  • *1596 , (William Shakespeare), (w, A Midsummer Night's Dream)
  • *:Lord what fools these mortals be!
  • *
  • *:But then I had the flintlock by me for protection. ¶ There were giants in the days when that gun was made; for surely no modern mortal could have held that mass of metal steady to his shoulder. The linen-press and a chest on the top of it formed, however, a very good gun-carriage; and, thus mounted, aim could be taken out of the window.
  • Antonyms

    * immortal

    perpetual

    English

    Alternative forms

    * perpetuall (obsolete)

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Lasting forever, or for an indefinitely long time
  • Set up to be in effect or have tenure for an unlimited duration
  • Continuing uninterrupted
  • Flowering throughout the growing season
  • * By means of artificial hybridization, practised for a series of years, he has succeeded in producing a race of carnations which are perpetual bloomers.
  • * The hybrid perpetual roses as a rule require to be pruned to within 4 to 6 inches of the ground.
  • Derived terms

    * perpetual motion

    References

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