adj · noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation, US:/ˈmɔːɹɪbʌnd/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:M AO1 R AH0 B AH0 N D
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Approaching death; about to die; dying; expiring.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Almost obsolete; nearing an end.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A person who is near to dying.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
adjective satellite
Meaning 4
being on the point of death; breathing your last
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a moribund patient
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adjective satellite
Meaning 5
not growing or changing; without force or vitality
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: stagnant
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Latin moribundus (“dying”).
Across languages
Translations
66 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
умиращ
(umirašt)
— approaching death
Catalan:
moribund
— approaching death
Chinese Mandarin:
垂死
(chuísǐ)
— approaching death
Chinese Mandarin:
腐朽
(fǔxiǔ)
— approaching death
Chinese Mandarin:
瀕死 /濒死
(bīnsǐ)
— approaching death
Czech:
moribundní
— approaching death
Danish:
døende
— approaching death
Finnish:
kuoleva
— approaching death
French:
moribond
— approaching death
French:
mourant
— approaching death
Galician:
moribundo
— approaching death
German:
moribund
— approaching death
German:
todgeweiht
— approaching death
Greek:
ετοιμοθάνατος
(etoimothánatos)
— approaching death
Hungarian:
haldokló
— approaching death
Hungarian:
halódó
— approaching death
Icelandic:
dauðvona
— approaching death
Icelandic:
(to be moribund) liggja fyrir dauðanum
— approaching death
Icelandic:
að dauða kominn
— approaching death
Indonesian:
nazak
— approaching death
Indonesian:
sekarat
— approaching death
Irish:
díbheo
— approaching death
Italian:
moribondo
— approaching death
Italian:
morente
— approaching death
Japanese:
瀕死の
(hinshi-no)
— approaching death
Japanese:
死にかけている
(shi-ni kakete iru)
— approaching death
Latin:
moribundus
— approaching death
Malay:
nazak
— approaching death
Manx:
neuvioal
— approaching death
Manx:
neuvioyr
— approaching death
Manx:
raad y vaaish
— approaching death
Manx:
gyn leihill
— approaching death
Manx:
lhiastagh
— approaching death
Manx:
lieh-vio
— approaching death
Norwegian:
døende
— approaching death
Polish:
umierający
— approaching death
Polish:
konający
— approaching death
Portuguese:
moribundo
— approaching death
Portuguese:
morrediço
— approaching death
Portuguese:
morrente
— approaching death
Russian:
умира́ющий
(umirájuščij)
— approaching death
Russian:
агони́рующий
(agonírujuščij)
— approaching death
Russian:
загнива́ющий
(zagnivájuščij)
— approaching death
Sanskrit:
मारुक
(māruka)
— approaching death
Serbo-Croatian:
moribundan
— approaching death
Serbo-Croatian:
umirući
— approaching death
Serbo-Croatian:
samrtnički
— approaching death
Serbo-Croatian:
agonalni
— approaching death
Spanish:
moribundo
— approaching death
Spanish:
mortecino
— approaching death
Swedish:
döende
— approaching death
Thai:
ร่อแร่
(rɔ̂ɔ-rɛ̂ɛ)
— approaching death
Turkish:
can çekişen
— approaching death
Ukrainian:
вмираючий
(vmyrajučyj)
— approaching death
Danish:
uddøende
— almost obsolete
Finnish:
poistuva
— almost obsolete
Finnish:
loppuva
— almost obsolete
Finnish:
katoava
— almost obsolete
Hungarian:
kihalófélben lévő
— almost obsolete
Hungarian:
kihalóban lévő
— almost obsolete
Indonesian:
hampir mati
— almost obsolete
Russian:
устарева́ющий
(ustarevájuščij)
— almost obsolete
Russian:
выходя́щий из употребле́ния
(vyxodjáščij iz upotreblénija)
— almost obsolete
Swedish:
utdöende
— almost obsolete
Ukrainian:
відсталий
(vidstalyj)
— almost obsolete
Ukrainian:
той, що виходить з вжитку
(toj, ščo vyxodytʹ z vžytku)
— almost obsolete