stillborn
Americanadjective
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dead when born.
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ineffectual from the beginning; abortive; fruitless.
a stillborn plan of escape.
adjective
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(of a fetus) dead at birth
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(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.
Jack and Sarah Hawkins's daughter Harriet was stillborn at Nottingham City Hospital in April 2016 after intervention was repeatedly delayed.
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026
But, in UK law, the death of a child that is stillborn is not subject to an inquest - something Sarah Hawkins said was "frustrating".
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026
Sarah and Jack Hawkins were one of the first families to raise the alarm about serious failings at the trust, after their daughter Harriet was stillborn at City Hospital in April 2016.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
We shared the letter's contents, including the "FOH" remarks, with Sarah Hawkins, whose concerns were repeatedly ignored over six days before her daughter, Harriet, was stillborn in 2016.
From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026
She knew he had sent the picture to prove that Sissy’s stillborn children had not been his fault.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
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.
