immortal means not susceptible to death; living forever; never dying. It carries an Arena rating of 1356, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, immortal ranks #2,592 of 14,423 for Most Sublime Words, #2,737 of 14,445 for Most Beautiful Words, #7,084 of 14,414 for Most Elegant Words, #7,100 of 14,440 for Most Satisfying to Say.
immortal is pronounced /ɪˈmɔɹtəl/.
Why “immortal” is a great word
Not subject to death; living forever. From Latin immortālis, from prefix im- ("not") + mortālis ("mortal"), from mors ("death"), first attested in English in the late 14th century. Unlike "eternal," which suggests an existence untethered from time itself, or "undying," which often speaks of a metaphorical fervor, "immortal" is a specific, biological reprieve—a sentence of endless continuation imposed upon a flesh that was meant to decay. It is the jellyfish reverting to its polyp stage in the black water, the endless, identical rings of an ancient tree, and the cold perfection of a diamond passed from one dying hand to another—a state not of triumph, but of irrevocable attendance at the funeral of everything else.
Etymology
From Latin immortālis, from prefix im- (“not”) (from in-) + mortālis (“mortal”) (from mors (“death”), combining form mort- + adjectival suffix -alis), equivalent to im- + mortal. Displaced native undeadly, from Old English undēadlīċ.
The term referring to the Persian soldiers was a Calque of Ancient Greek ἀθάνατος (athánatos). One suggestion claimed that "Immortals" were named by the ancient Greeks because wounded soldiers were quickly replaced, while another claimed that it was because Greek informants confused Old Persian *anauša- (“immortal, without death”) with Old Persian *anūšiya- (“companion, royal bodyguard”).
adj
- Not susceptible to death; living forever; never dying.
- Never to be forgotten; that merits being always remembered.“his immortal words”
- Connected with or relating to immortality.“I have immortal longings in me.”
- Exceedingly great; excessive; grievous.“immortal and mercyless butchery”
noun
- One who is not susceptible to death.“The brutal insouciance of her fellow immortals — whether her sharp-tongued mother, Perse; or chilly Hermes; or righteous Athena enraged — proves increasingly alien to this thoughtful and compassionate woman who learns to love unselfishly.”
- A preeminent or exemplary person or thing; a paragon.
- A preeminent or exemplary person or thing; a paragon.; A game of chess of especially high quality and entertainment, regarded as one of the best in history.“Anand's Immortal”
- A member of an elite regiment of the Persian army.
- A member of the Académie française.
- An administrator of a multi-user dungeon.“Tazmania/Middle Sphere is in need of builders, admin, and immortals. […] Immortals do not need experiance^([sic]).”
Words closest in meaning
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