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
Norman Cameron2
: 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
D. 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
an actor who is trying to revive his moribund career
The peace talks are moribund.
Recent Examples on the Web
Markets rallied, Wall Street banks curtailed their recession forecasts, and moribund USconsumer confidence rebounded significantly.
—Samantha Waldenberg, CNN Money, 6 June 2025
Lurie has been making waves since taking over as mayor early this year with efforts to tackle some of the legendary city's most pressing problems such as rampant homelessness and a moribund city center.
—Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 22 May 2025
Their moribund offense offset outstanding pitching by the Braves, who have a 2.80 ERA in their past 14 games.
—David O'Brien, New York Times, 13 May 2025
But the main source of anger is the economy – moribund in both countries, where standards of living are stagnating, or worse, for many citizens.
—Ned Temko, Christian Science Monitor, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for moribund
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Samantha Waldenberg, CNN Money, 6 June 2025
Lurie has been making waves since taking over as mayor early this year with efforts to tackle some of the legendary city's most pressing problems such as rampant homelessness and a moribund city center.
—Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 22 May 2025
Their moribund offense offset outstanding pitching by the Braves, who have a 2.80 ERA in their past 14 games.
—David O'Brien, New York Times, 13 May 2025
But the main source of anger is the economy – moribund in both countries, where standards of living are stagnating, or worse, for many citizens.
—Ned Temko, Christian Science Monitor, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for moribund
Cite this Entry
“Moribund.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moribund. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
Norman CameronLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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