Immortal is an adjective describing someone who cannot die or is believed to be exempt from death. It can also refer to lasting fame or enduring qualities. In everyday use, it often connotes legendary status, resilience, or a mythic quality that transcends ordinary mortality.
"The ancient hero became immortal in legend after defeating the dragon."
"Scientists hoped their discovery would confer immortal status to their work through lasting impact."
"The author’s novels achieved immortality through timeless themes of love and courage."
"In the movie, the immortal warriors guarded a secret that outlived generations."
Immortal traces to Late Latin immortalem, from in- (not) + mortalis (mortal), itself from Latin mors, mort- ‘death’. The term appears in Classical Latin as immortalis with literal meaning ‘not subject to death.’ In medieval Latin, it reinforced religious and immortal souls concept. In English, immortal emerged in the 14th century, initially tied to theology and the soul’s fate, then broadened to secular uses denoting lasting fame or legends beyond ordinary life. The word’s form mirrors other -mort- compounds such as mortal, mortality, mortalize. Over time, the sense expanded to describe beings, works, or ideas that endure beyond a normal lifespan or extinction, including literary, artistic, or mythic immortality.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Immortal" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Immortal" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Immortal"
-no) sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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US/UK/AU IPA: US: ɪˈmɔːrtəl, UK: ɪˈmɔː.təl, AU: ˌɪˈmɔːtəl. Primary stress on the second syllable: mor- with 'mor' sounding like 'm' + 'or' as in 'more'. The final '-tal' has a lighter, schwa-like or syllabic 'l'. Tip: keep the /ɔː/ vowel long, avoid pronouncing as ‘imm-OR-tal’ with a wrong vowel in the first syllable.
Common errors: misplacing stress as on the first syllable (ɪˈmɔːrtəl vs iˈmɔːrtəl); mispronouncing the /ɒ/ as short; omitting the /l/ sound at the end or making it a 't' sound. Correction: ensure primary stress on mor- (second syllable) and keep the /ɔː/ lengthened, end with a clear /l/; practice saying ‘i-MOR-tal’ with the final light /əl/.
US tends to a more pronounced rhotic /r/ before the vowel, giving a clearer /ɹ/; UK often has a non-rhotic flavor with a weaker /r/ and a lengthened /ɔː/; AU aligns with non-rhotic patterns but often preserves a subtle /ɹ/ in careful speech. Primary stress remains on mor- in most dialects, but the quality of /ɔː/ and the final syllable’ l may vary. IPA cues: US ɪˈmɔːɹ.təl, UK ɪˈmɔː.təl, AU ˌɪˈmɔː.təl.
The difficulty lies in the mid-vowel /ɔː/ length and the transition from stressed /mɔːr/ to the light /təl/. Also, the ending /əl/ reduces quickly in connected speech, making it sound almost like /təl/ or /təl̩/. Learners often misplace stress or blend the syllables, producing i-MOR-tal or im-MOR-tal with an overemphasized final consonant. Focus on a steady /ɔː/ and a clean, light /l/.
Yes—notice the syllable boundary: im-MOR-tal. The second syllable carries the primary stress, and the /r/ (in rhotic accents) or its absence (non-rhotic) shapes the overall sound. The first syllable uses a short /ɪ/ or near-schwa depending on rhythm, but stress remains unmistakenably on mor. Mastery requires smoothing the glide from /m/ into /ɔː/ and ensuring final /l/ is crisp but not overemphasized.
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