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.
Jacqui died at Ninewells hospital in Dundee while giving birth to their stillborn daughter, Olivia.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Last year she posted a poem online after the loss of her stillborn baby.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
Mark Walter, who farms in Milton Damerel in north Devon, feared 40% of his lambs could be born stillborn or with disabilities because of bluetongue.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
Jasmine Beverley, whose son's remains were discovered at the funeral parlour nearly two years after he was stillborn, said: "Reading the letter has left me feeling nothing but anger."
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
About the same time as Marsha's prosecution, Bridget Lee gave birth to a stillborn baby in Pickens County, Alabama.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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