moribund

/ˈmɒrɪbʌnd/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmɔːrɪbʌnd/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmȯr-ə-(ˌ)bənd ˈmär-/ (ame, mw)

moribund — adjective

  • moribundpositive
  • more moribundcomparative
  • most moribundsuperlative

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

1.形容詞C2
釋義

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

例句

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

同義詞
  • 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

反義詞
  • thriving

    growing strongly and doing well

  • flourishing

    active, healthy, and full of energy

  • active

    still operating or taking part fully

文法句型

be moribund

seem moribund

look moribund

用法筆記

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.

常見錯誤

❌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.形容詞C2
釋義

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

例句

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

同義詞
  • 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

反義詞

文法句型

be moribund

find + object + moribund

lie moribund

用法筆記

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.

常見錯誤

❌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.