Make Your Point > Archived Issues > MORIBUND
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pronounce
MORIBUND:
Say it "MORE ih bund."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
We can trace the word moribund back to the Latin word for "death," mors. (The "bund" part is just an adjective ending: it doesn't have its own meaning.)
Speaking of mors, see if you can recall these terms:
1. To mor____ someone is to make them feel extremely embarrassed--so embarrassed, they wish for death, almost.
2. A m____to_mori, literally "remember to die," is something you see that reminds you of your own eventual death.
And before we get to feeling all morbid about our mortality and the word moribund, here's a sunny, comforting line that Elton John sings about death:
"The barefoot man lived a simple life.
I guess he knew some things die
So other things might live."
You thought I was going with "Circle of Life," right?
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
The word "moribund" comes from a Latin one meaning "dying, about to die."
Moribund things are close to death: they're still alive, but just about to die.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech: adjective: "it's a moribund company," "the whole industry is moribund."
Other forms: the noun is "moribundity."
how to use it:
Pick this heavy, serious word to talk about how things seem to be in the process of dying.
In general speech, we don't often use it to describe plants, animals, or people.
Instead, we talk about moribund trends, programs, campaigns, traditions, practices, companies, economies, theories, etc.
Finally, a word of caution: "moribund" means "dying," but it doesn't mean "morbid: dark, gloomy, obsessed with death." It's an easy mix-up. If it helps, think of "moribund" as "mors-bound: death-bound, bound for death." Morticia Addams--portrayed by the two actresses below--is definitely a morbid character, and perhaps a deadly one, but not at all moribund. She's full of life.
"Salt, pepper, or cyanide?"
examples:
"Monster movie crossovers are usually a sign of a moribund franchise, but this Ring v Grudge combo is livelier than you would expect."
— Anne Billson, The Guardian, 21 February 2019
"And I've got a question for all of those people down in the south and in the Midwest living in towns with disappearing populations and closed schools and shuttered churches. Who do you think is going to move into those moribund split-levels and closed storefronts and do the jobs no one else wants to do and help bring those towns back to life?"
— Lucian K. Truscott IV, The Guardian, 12 January 2019
has this page helped you understand "moribund"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "moribund" without saying "at death's door" or "on its last leg."
try it out:
The word "moribund" is popular in sports writing, where you'll find talk of "reviving a moribund game," "saving a moribund franchise," "breathing life into a moribund offense" and so on.
The metaphor implied is beautiful: that a game, an offense, or an entire franchise has its own beating heart, its own delicate life.
With all that in mind, talk about a time you were playing a game or a sport and you realized your game was moribund: "Well, my game here is pretty much doomed. I'm limping along here. No chance of survival." What factors dragged you down into this moribund state? Did you end up dying after all (losing the game), or did you catch a lucky break and rescue your game from moribundity, bringing it back to life?
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
This month, our game is "Caption These!"
In each issue this month, caption the images below (A, B, and C) by matching them to the vocabulary words they illustrate (1, 2, and 3). Need a closer look? Give the images a click. And, if you can, explain the exact meaning of each word. I'll share the answers in the following issue. Good luck!
From the previous issue:
Answers:
A: siphon, B: yoke, C: cloy.
(To review a word, give it a click.)
Try these today:
1: echelon
2: scrum
3: salmagundi
review this word:
A. DIFFIDENT: shy and modest.
B. NASCENT: currently being born.
C. INCUMBENT: necessary and obligatory.
2. To get precise with word choice, we should talk about _____, not _____, the moribund economy.
A. healing .. jump-starting
B. boosting .. ratcheting up
C. stimulating .. operating on
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
We can trace the word moribund back to the Latin word for "death," mors. (The "bund" part is just an adjective ending: it doesn't have its own meaning.)
The word "moribund" comes from a Latin one meaning "dying, about to die."
Part of speech: adjective: "it's a moribund company," "the whole industry is moribund."
Pick this heavy, serious word to talk about how things seem to be in the process of dying.
"Monster movie crossovers are usually a sign of a moribund franchise, but this Ring v Grudge combo is livelier than you would expect."
Explain the meaning of "moribund" without saying "at death's door" or "on its last leg."
The word "moribund" is popular in sports writing, where you'll find talk of "reviving a moribund game," "saving a moribund franchise," "breathing life into a moribund offense" and so on.
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
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