moribund

IPA/ˈmɒrɪbʌnd/
KK[mˈɔrəbənd]IPA/ˈmɔːrɪbʌnd/

moribund — adjective

  • moribundpositive
  • more moribundcomparative
  • most moribundsuperlative

1. describes a business, group, or activity that has almost no life left and seems

1.adjectiveC2
Definition

describes a business, group, or activity that has almost no life left and seems likely to disappear soon.

Example

After two quiet years, the local newspaper looked moribund beside its busy online rivals.

predicative use: look moribund

Investors avoided the moribund chain of video stores in the city centre.

attributive use: moribund + business

Common collocations
  • moribund company
  • moribund industry
  • moribund party
  • moribund tradition
  • look moribund
  • seem moribund
Synonyms
  • declining

    broader and more neutral; it means getting weaker, but not always near the end

  • failing

    focuses on poor performance or loss of strength rather than the final stage

  • stagnant

    suggests no growth or movement, but something stagnant may still continue for a long time

  • defunct

    stronger; it means the organization or activity has already stopped existing

Antonyms
  • thriving

    growing strongly and doing well

  • flourishing

    active, healthy, and full of energy

  • active

    still operating or taking part fully

Grammar Patterns

be moribund

seem moribund

look moribund

Usage Note

Usually used about organizations, industries, traditions, or political movements rather than individual people. It often suggests the thing still exists, but only just; if it has already ended, 'defunct' is often a better fit.

Common Mistakes

The moribund company closed ten years ago.
The defunct company closed ten years ago.
'moribund' suggests something is still alive but fading, not already gone.
The moribund student looked sleepy in class.
The sleepy student looked tired in class.
in this sense, 'moribund' is for institutions or activities near collapse, not ordinary human tiredness.

2. describes a person, animal, or plant that is so close to death that it may die v

2.adjectiveC2
Definition

describes a person, animal, or plant that is so close to death that it may die very soon.

Example

The vet found the bird moribund under the garden bench.

find + object + moribund

By dawn, the rescued fox was moribund from cold and hunger.

be moribund from physical causes

Common collocations
  • moribund patient
  • moribund bird
  • moribund plant
  • find something moribund
  • lie moribund
  • moribund from hunger
Synonyms
  • dying

    the plain everyday choice for someone or something close to death

  • critical

    often used in medical settings; it can describe grave danger without meaning death is immediate

  • fading

    softer and less exact; it can suggest gradual loss of strength, not always imminent death

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

be moribund

find + object + moribund

lie moribund

Usage Note

Mostly used in formal, medical, or literary descriptions of people, animals, and plants that are very close to death. Distinguish it from sense 1, which uses the idea of dying as a metaphor for institutions or activities.

Common Mistakes

Grandpa felt moribund after the long walk.
Grandpa felt exhausted after the long walk.
'moribund' is much stronger and means near death, not simply very tired.
The flowers looked moribund because they needed water for one afternoon.
The flowers looked wilted because they needed water for one afternoon.
use 'moribund' only when a living thing seems close to dying.

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

These words all suggest trouble, but they point to different stages. 'Declining' simply means becoming weaker, smaller, or less successful. 'Failing' is broader and often focuses on poor results, loss of strength, or collapse in progress. 'Stagnant' means stuck, with no growth or movement, but something stagnant can continue for years. 'Moribund' is stronger: it suggests a business, movement, or institution still exists, yet has so little energy that it may soon disappear. 'Defunct' goes one step further and says the thing is already finished. A moribund theatre company may still stage a few shows, while a defunct one has already shut its doors.

moribund ↗declining ↗failing ↗stagnant ↗defunct ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • be moribund
  • become moribund
  • look moribund
  • seem moribund

Etymology

LatinEnglish

English took 'moribund' from the late Latin adjective 'moribundus', meaning 'about to die'. That Latin form comes from 'mori', 'to die'. At first, English mainly used the word for people or animals near death, but it later widened to describe businesses, customs, and other things that still exist yet seem to be fading away.