stillborn
Americanadjective
-
dead when born.
-
ineffectual from the beginning; abortive; fruitless.
a stillborn plan of escape.
adjective
-
(of a fetus) dead at birth
-
(of an idea, plan, etc) fruitless; abortive; unsuccessful
noun
Etymology
Origin of stillborn
Vocabulary lists containing stillborn
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Jasmine Beverley, whose son Sunny was stillborn in May 2022, said Bush appeared "lovely" and presented himself as "very respectful".
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
But on Thursday, the appeals court ruled that this might not have been the case, as a broker had told Kwon the baby would be stillborn.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Concerns were first raised about mortuary care by Jack and Sarah Hawkins, the parents of Harriet, who was stillborn in 2016.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
Harriet Hawkins was stillborn at Nottingham City Hospital in April 2016, after intervention was repeatedly delayed.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
Then late that fall, Farzana gave birth to a stillborn baby girl.
From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
