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.
The mother of a stillborn baby boy who was found at an undertakers almost two years after his funeral says the funeral director "will pay for what he's done".
From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026
Katherine James, 58, from Port Talbot, who lost her stillborn daughter more than 35 years ago, said: "It's heart-breaking for families - I want to be with my little girl".
From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026
Two horses were dead when he arrived, including a foal that appeared stillborn or miscarried.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 22, 2026
The opening chorus of Act 2, in which the Puritans grieve over Elvira’s madness, features a woman giving birth to a stillborn baby in full view of the community.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026
It happened in the night, and by morning they had buried the child and would not speak of it except to say it had been stillborn but otherwise perfect, as far as they could tell.
From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk
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.
