moribund
English
WOTD – 28 October 2007
Etymology
From French moribond, from Latin moribundus (“dying”).
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation, US) IPA(key): /ˈmɔːɹɪbʌnd/
Audio (US) (file) - Hyphenation: mor‧i‧bund
Adjective
moribund (not comparable)
- Approaching death; about to die; dying; expiring.
- 1899 February, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number M, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], OCLC 1042815524, part I, page 206:
- These moribund shapes were free as air - and nearly as thin.
- Almost obsolete, nearing an end.
Derived terms
- moribundity
- moribundly
- moribundness
Related terms
- amortal
- mortal
- mortality
- mortify
- mortuary
Translations
approaching death
|
almost obsolete
|
Noun
moribund (plural moribunds)
- A person who is near to dying.
Anagrams
- unmorbid
German
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /moʁiˈbʊnt/
Audio (file) - Rhymes: -ʊnt
Adjective
moribund (strong nominative masculine singular moribunder, not comparable)
- (also figurative) moribund (approaching death)
Declension
Positive forms of moribund (uncomparable)
number & gender | singular | plural | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
masculine | feminine | neuter | all genders | ||
predicative | er ist moribund | sie ist moribund | es ist moribund | sie sind moribund | |
strong declension (without article) | nominative | moribunder | moribunde | moribundes | moribunde |
genitive | moribunden | moribunder | moribunden | moribunder | |
dative | moribundem | moribunder | moribundem | moribunden | |
accusative | moribunden | moribunde | moribundes | moribunde | |
weak declension (with definite article) | nominative | der moribunde | die moribunde | das moribunde | die moribunden |
genitive | des moribunden | der moribunden | des moribunden | der moribunden | |
dative | dem moribunden | der moribunden | dem moribunden | den moribunden | |
accusative | den moribunden | die moribunde | das moribunde | die moribunden | |
mixed declension (with indefinite article) | nominative | ein moribunder | eine moribunde | ein moribundes | (keine) moribunden |
genitive | eines moribunden | einer moribunden | eines moribunden | (keiner) moribunden | |
dative | einem moribunden | einer moribunden | einem moribunden | (keinen) moribunden | |
accusative | einen moribunden | eine moribunde | ein moribundes | (keine) moribunden |
Further reading
- “moribund” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
- “moribund” in Duden online
- “moribund” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon