World Languages Lexicon
10 Language-to-English DictionariesMemento mori
/məˌmɛn.toʊ ˈmɔː.ri/Comprehensive Definitions & Senses
2 senses- 1
An object, such as a skull, kept as a reminder of the inevitability of death.
"He kept a small silver skull on his desk as a memento mori to keep his priorities in perspective." - 2
A warning or reminder of the brevity of life and the certainty of death.
"The haunting painting served as a stark memento mori for all who gazed upon it."
Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum
Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology
Derived directly from Latin, translating literally to 'remember that you must die'. It originated from ancient Roman traditions where a triumphant general would have a servant whisper the phrase in his ear to remind him of his mortality amidst celebration, later becoming a prominent artistic and literary motif in medieval and Renaissance Europe.
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10 Global Lexicons: How "Memento mori" is said worldwide
Click any language below to open its dedicated Language to English dictionary page with native script & transliteration
memento mori
Transliteration: memento mori
"Cette œuvre d'art est un véritable memento mori."
Memento mori
Transliteration: memento mori
"Das Gemälde dient als ein düsteres Memento mori."
memento mori
Transliteration: memento mori
"Il teschio sulla scrivania era un chiaro memento mori."
memento mori
Transliteration: memento mori
"El cuadro funciona como un inquietante memento mori."
memento mori
Transliteration: memento mori
"A caveira servia como um memento mori constante para o rei."
मृत्यु की याद दिलाने वाली वस्तु
Transliteration: mrityu ki yaad dilane wali vastu
"यह खोपड़ी मानव जीवन की नश्वरता का एक मemento mori है।"
警世 提醒终将一死之物
Transliteration: jǐngshì tíxǐng zhōng jiāng yī sǐ zhī wù
Script: 警世提醒终将一死之物
"这幅画是一个强烈的警世提醒，暗示终将一死。"
메멘토 모리
Transliteration: memento mori
"그 해골 장식은 그에게 강렬한 메멘토 모리였다."
メメント・モリ
Transliteration: memento mori
"その絵画は観る者にとって力強いメメント・モリである。"
Related Vocabulary Words to Explore
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A secondary residence owned or rented by a family or individual, used primarily for recreational purposes, holidays, or seasonal getaways.
Not producing or containing venom; incapable of injecting poison through a bite, sting, or other mechanism.
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