moribund
adjective
Norman CameronD. S. Janal
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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.
Examples of moribund in a Sentence
Joe Queenan, WSJ, 14 Sep. 2023
But the century and a half after the Civil War, brought no insurrections, and Section Three lay moribund, an object of only historical interest.
—Time, 15 Aug. 2023
As a result, no single party or coalition immediately gained enough parliamentary seats to govern, thrusting Spain into a familiar political muddle and giving new life to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who only days ago seemed moribund.
—Jason Horowitz, New York Times, 24 July 2023
Making its victory all the sweeter was the fact that the paper, moribund since 2016, had just been revived in 2021 as an independent publication.
—Paul Farhi, Washington Post, 31 May 2023
The burst of activity is kindling hope that the moribund IPO market might be poised for a revival.
—Globe Columnist, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Aug. 2023
His campaign has been declared hopelessly moribund more often than the Fast & Furious franchise.
—Noah Rothman, National Review, 23 Aug. 2023
Glamour had become almost moribund in its consistency.
—ELLE Decor, 21 Aug. 2023
In addition to its guest rooms, the Gifford House’s three bars, long an essential part of Provincetown’s social ecosystem, had collapsed into a decaying and moribund state.
—Christopher Muther, BostonGlobe.com, 24 Aug. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'moribund.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near moribund
Cite this Entry
“Moribund.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moribund. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.
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moribund
adjective
Medical Definition
moribund
adjective
Norman Cameron
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