still-born

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Born dead: "still-born" describes a baby that is born dead, having died before or during birth.

Usage Examples

• (A baby born dead.)
• (Births resulting in a dead baby.)

Advanced Usage

• "still-born" (figurative): Describing an idea, plan, or project that fails to develop or is ineffective from the start.
  • The proposal was still-born, lacking support from the very beginning. (The proposal failed immediately.)
  • Their ambitious venture proved still-born due to poor funding. (The venture never progressed.)

Variants and Related Words

• Stillbirth (noun): the birth of a dead baby.
  • The hospital reported a case of stillbirth last month. (The event of a baby being born dead.)
• Stillborn (alternative spelling): same meaning as "still-born."
  • The stillborn infant was delivered after a difficult labor. (The baby born dead.)

Synonyms

• Dead-born: born dead (less common).
• Aborted: terminated before birth (though "aborted" typically refers to intentional termination, not natural death).
• Nonviable: not capable of living or surviving.

Related Idioms

• "still-born idea": an idea that fails immediately.
  • The marketing campaign was a still-born idea, rejected by the board instantly. (The idea was unsuccessful from the start.)