el más mortífero
/el mas moɾtifeɾo/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'deadliest' is translated into Spanish as el más mortífero.
This phrase is used to describe the thing that is most likely to cause death.
Which one should you use?
The adjective 'letal' can be used as a synonym for 'mortífero' to express the same meaning of being deadly, as in el más letal.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase must agree in gender with the noun it modifies, so use la más mortífera if the noun is feminine. The phrase must agree in number with the noun it modifies, so use los más mortíferos for masculine plural nouns and las más mortíferas for feminine plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/el mas moɾtifeɾo/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, a 'deadly' disease is often called mortal, while mortífero is more frequently reserved for inanimate objects like a 'deadly' poison or a 'deadly' weapon.
- The word mortífero behaves like a 'death-bearer' because it is a direct structural imitation of an Ancient Greek word, combining 'death' with the suffix for 'carrying'.
- While 'deadliest' is often used for weapons, in Spanish, using el más mortífero for a person can sound overly dramatic or poetic, as if they are a personification of death itself.
Examples in context
- El virus del ébola es uno de los más mortales conocidos por la humanidad.The Ebola virus is one of the deadliest known to humanity.
- La pandemia de COVID-19 es una de las de mayor mortalidad de nuestra era.The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the deadliest of our era.
- ¡Cuidado! Esa zona es conocida por tener serpientes venenosas, ¡unas de las más letales!Be careful! That area is known for having venomous snakes, some of the deadliest!
- Este es el más mortífero de los virus.This is the deadliest of the viruses.
- Aquel fue el más mortífero de los accidentes.That was the deadliest of the accidents.
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are visiting a natural history museum.
- LucíaMira este animal, Javier.Look at this animal, Javier.
- Javier¿Cuál es el más mortífero de la exhibición?Which one is the deadliest in the exhibit?
- LucíaDicen que es esa pequeña rana.They say it is that small frog.
- JavierEs increíble que sea tan peligrosa.It is incredible that it is so dangerous.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries el, mortífero, más, CC BY-SA 4.0.
