Standard Lemma guide

stillborn

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.

  • /ˈstɪlbɔː(ɹ)n/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: S T IH1 L B AO1 R N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Dead at birth.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • 1978, Holy Bible (New International Version), Job 3:16, Or why was I not hidden in the ground like a stillborn child, like an infant who never saw the light of day?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: deadborn

Antonyms: quickborn

2

adj

Meaning 2

Ignored, without influence, or unsuccessful from the outset; abortive.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, figuratively, not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unfruitful

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A baby that is born dead.

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

(of newborn infant) showing no signs of life at birth; not liveborn

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a stillborn baby

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

failing to accomplish an intended result

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an abortive revolt
  • a stillborn plot to assassinate the President

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: abortive, unsuccessful

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From English still + born. First attested in 1597.

Across languages

Translations

53 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: إِمْلَاص (ʔimlāṣ) — dead at birth
  • Azerbaijani: ölü doğulmuş — dead at birth
  • Bulgarian: мъртвороден (mǎrtvoroden) — dead at birth
  • Catalan: nascut mort — dead at birth
  • Chinese Mandarin: 死胎的 (sǐtāi de) — dead at birth
  • Chinese Mandarin: 死產的 /死产的 (sǐchǎn de) — dead at birth
  • Czech: mrtvorozený — dead at birth
  • Dutch: doodgeboren — dead at birth
  • Esperanto: mortnaskita — dead at birth
  • Finnish: kuolleena syntynyt — dead at birth
  • French: mort-né — dead at birth
  • German: totgeboren — dead at birth
  • Greek: θνησιγενής (thnisigenís) — dead at birth
  • Greek: νεκρογέννητος (nekrogénnitos) — dead at birth
  • Hungarian: halva született — dead at birth
  • Icelandic: andvanafæddur — dead at birth
  • Italian: nato morto — dead at birth
  • Italian: nata morta — dead at birth
  • Japanese: 死産の (shizan no) — dead at birth
  • Macedonian: мртвородено (mrtvorodeno) — dead at birth
  • Norman: mort-né — dead at birth
  • Norwegian Bokmål: dødfødt — dead at birth
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: dødfødd — dead at birth
  • Old English: dēadboren — dead at birth
  • Plautdietsch: dootjebuaren — dead at birth
  • Portuguese: natimorto — dead at birth
  • Portuguese: nado-morto — dead at birth
  • Russian: мертворождённый (mertvoroždjónnyj) — dead at birth
  • Scots: kebbit — dead at birth
  • Slovene: mrtvorojen — dead at birth
  • Spanish: nacido muerto — dead at birth
  • Spanish: mortinato — dead at birth
  • Spanish: natimorto — dead at birth
  • Swedish: dödfödd — dead at birth
  • Tagalog: lungal — dead at birth
  • Ukrainian: мертвонаро́джений (mertvonaródženyj) — dead at birth
  • Yiddish: טויט געבוירן (toyt geboyrn) — dead at birth
  • Dutch: doodgeboren — ignored, without influence, unsuccessful, abortive
  • Finnish: epäonnistunut — ignored, without influence, unsuccessful, abortive
  • Greek: θνησιγενής (thnisigenís) — ignored, without influence, unsuccessful, abortive
  • Hungarian: halva született — ignored, without influence, unsuccessful, abortive
  • Norwegian: dødfødt — ignored, without influence, unsuccessful, abortive
  • Russian: мертворождённый (mertvoroždjónnyj) — ignored, without influence, unsuccessful, abortive
  • Russian: беспло́дный (besplódnyj) — ignored, without influence, unsuccessful, abortive
  • Slovene: mrtvorojen — ignored, without influence, unsuccessful, abortive
  • Swedish: dödfödd — ignored, without influence, unsuccessful, abortive
  • Ukrainian: мертвонаро́джений (mertvonaródženyj) — ignored, without influence, unsuccessful, abortive
  • German: Totgeburt — stillborn
  • Indonesian: bayi lahir mati — stillborn
  • Portuguese: natimorto — stillborn
  • Portuguese: natimorta — stillborn
  • Portuguese: nado-morto — stillborn
  • Spanish: mortinato — stillborn