Synonyms of moribund

moribund

adjective

ˈmȯr-ə-(ˌ)bənd 

1

as in dying

nearly dead

with its run-down look and empty aisles, the grocery store appeared moribund

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dying
• fallen
• dead
• gone
• sinking
• fading
• lifeless
• defunct
• at death's door
• deteriorating
• declining
• deceased
• expiring
• demised
• departed
• decadent
• terminal
• passing away
• passed away

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• alive
• live
• existing
• living
• quick
• breathing
• surviving
• animate
• being
• thriving
• flourishing
• booming
• subsisting
• vital
• lively
• energetic
• roaring
• spirited
• animated
• vivacious
• sprightly
• perky
• prospering
• frisky
• peppy
• bouncing
• springy
• jazzy
• zippy
• sprightful

2

as in obsolete

having passed its time of use or usefulness

youngsters snickering at the moribund slang their parents were using

Synonyms & Similar Words

• obsolete
• archaic
• antiquated
• medieval
• rusty
• prehistoric
• defunct
• old
• outmoded
• extinct
• expired
• outdated
• out-of-date
• useless
• outworn
• fossilized
• superannuated
• dated
• discarded
• neolithic
• ancient
• mossy
• Stone Age
• dead
• passé
• antique
• aging
• obsolescent
• moth-eaten
• disused
• kaput
• historic
• late
• démodé
• vintage
• historical
• unusable
• dormant
• vanished
• demoded
• unworkable
• inactive
• inert
• Noachian
• retro
• venerable
• inoperable
• past
• fusty
• inoperative
• idle
• antediluvian
• aged
• latent
• former
• fallow
• erstwhile
• musty
• hoary
• old-time
• bygone
• old-fashioned
• free
• atavistic
• old-world
• age-old
• dateless
• oldfangled

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• modern
• current
• new
• contemporary
• recent
• present-day
• fresh
• up-to-date
• newfangled
• ultramodern
• mod
• modernized
• new-fashioned
• operational
• functional
• up-to-the-minute
• active
• workable
• operating
• functioning
• alive
• renewed
• operative
• busy
• operable
• refurbished
• employed
• remodeled

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of moribund

It was founded by 37-year-old Chef Pam—the nickname of Pichaya Soontornyanakij—and was a driving force in reviving the once moribund district. — Tony Perrottet, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

Investors have grown increasingly alarmed over the eurozone’s debt burden, moribund economic growth, and persistent inflation. — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Here was my chance to get out of London, this counterfeit of death with its everywhere rage and its moribund culture and its smug population and its streets steeped in resentment and the sky pressing down like a chloroform rag. — Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026

For its part, Florida hoped for a Sinclair victory to pump up its own moribund economy. — Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2026