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 of moribund

• 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

At the time, the tech industry warned that this new regulation would drive companies overseas, accelerating the mass withdrawal of capital from an already moribund tech sector and start-up ecosystem. —Walter Russell Mead, The Atlantic, 24 Jan. 2026

The Tigers have otherwise appeared in the Big Dance ever since 2018 when Bruce Pearl was in his fourth season of building a moribund program into a national power, with his son on the same bench shared by Golden in 2014-16. —Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2026

Marche feared that ChatGPT-3 meant the end of freshman composition papers, but that’s a pathetic and moribund genre anyhow. —Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026

Fletcher was a one-man force, hitting triple digits for the third time in four playoff games and turning a moribund offense into something much more. —Arkansas Online, 20 Jan. 2026

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