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

Their moribund offense offset outstanding pitching by the Braves, who have a 2.80 ERA in their past 14 games. —David O'Brien, New York Times, 13 May 2025

But the main source of anger is the economy – moribund in both countries, where standards of living are stagnating, or worse, for many citizens. —Ned Temko, Christian Science Monitor, 8 May 2025

There is a pressing need for Canada to replace its moribund CF-18 fleet that cannot wait, experts say. —Ellie Cook, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 May 2025

Juszczyk was part of a big free-agent haul in 2017, when Lynch and Shanahan tried to revitalize the 49ers’ moribund roster. —The Athletic Nfl Staff, The Athletic, 11 Mar. 2025

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