moribund
[ mawr-uh-buhnd, mor- ]
/ ˈmɔr əˌbʌnd, ˈmɒr- /
Save This Word!
adjective
in a dying state; near death: He arrived at the hospital moribund, and passed away a few hours later.
on the verge of extinction or termination: moribund species, largely due to human encroachment on their natural habitat.
not progressing or advancing; stagnant: a moribund political party.
VIDEO FOR MORIBUND
WATCH NOW: Moribund: Visual Word of the Day
Learn more about this Word of the Day here.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!
Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.
Question 1 of 7
“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
Meet Grammar Coach
Improve Your Writing
Origin of moribund
First recorded in 1715–25; from Latin moribundus “dying,” equivalent to mori- (stem of morī “to die”) + -bundus adjective suffix
OTHER WORDS FROM moribund
mor·i·bun·di·ty, nounmor·i·bund·ly, adverbun·mor·i·bund, adjectiveun·mor·i·bund·ly, adverbWords nearby moribund
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for moribund
British Dictionary definitions for moribund
moribund
/ (ˈmɒrɪˌbʌnd) /
adjective
near death
stagnant; without force or vitality
Derived forms of moribund
moribundity, nounmoribundly, adverbWord Origin for moribund
C18: from Latin, from morī to die
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Medical definitions for moribund
moribund
[ môr′ə-bŭnd′ ]
n.
At the point of death; dying.
Other words from moribund
mor′i•bun′di•ty (-bŭn′dĭ-tē) n.The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.