moribund

adjective

mor·​i·​bund ˈmȯr-ə-(ˌ)bənd 

ˈmär-

1

: being in the state of dying : approaching death

in the moribund patient deepening stupor and coma are the usual preludes to death

—Norman Cameron

2

: being in a state of inactivity or obsolescence

a moribund virus

a moribund volcano

prune the moribund files from your disk forever

—D. S. Janal

moribundity

ˌmȯr-ə-ˈbən-də-tē 

ˌmär-

noun

Did you know?

Moribund Gets Less Literal

Moribund is still sometimes used in its original literal sense of "approaching death", but it's much more often used to describe things. When the economy goes bad, we hear about moribund mills and factories and towns; the economy itself may even be called moribund. Critics may speak of the moribund state of poetry, or lament the moribund record or newspaper industry.

Synonyms

• dying

Examples of moribund in a Sentence

an actor who is trying to revive his moribund career

The peace talks are moribund.

Recent Examples on the Web

That was a theme in the moribund postgame clubhouse, where those brilliant blue lights had been turned off, leaving it looking sad and sparse. —Mark Lazerus, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024

Still, beating Notre Dame on their own field in the playoff would be the biggest win in program history and the Hoosiers will be looking to overcome their own moribund football history along with Notre Dame’s talent and mystique. —Kyle Feldscher, CNN, 8 Dec. 2024

Indiana hired him at an AAV of $4.5 million for six years, but Cignetti has transformed the longtime moribund program with 10 straight wins to start the season. —Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 21 Nov. 2024

Sanders’s swift success at Jackson State caught the attention of Colorado, which wanted to infuse life into its moribund football program. —Emmanuel Morgan, New York Times, 26 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin moribundus, from mori to die — more at murder

First Known Use

circa 1721, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

moribund

adjective

mor·​i·​bund ˈmȯr-ə-(ˌ)bənd 

ˈmär-

: nearly dead

Medical Definition

moribund

adjective

mor·​i·​bund ˈmȯr-ə-(ˌ)bənd, ˈmär- 

: being in the state of dying : approaching death

in the moribund patient deepening stupor and coma are the usual preludes to death

—Norman Cameron