stillborn
Definition
- Adjective:
- (Of a newborn infant) Dead at birth; showing no signs of life when born.
- (Of a plan, idea, or effort) Failing completely or ending before it can begin; unsuccessful from the start.
Usage
- The primary meaning relates to childbirth. The secondary, figurative meaning describes initiatives that fail to materialize or achieve any effect.
- As an adjective, it typically precedes a noun (e.g., a stillborn child, a stillborn scheme) or follows a linking verb (e.g., The proposal was stillborn.).
Examples
- Literal (Medical/Birth):
- The doctors confirmed the baby was stillborn.
- She delivered a stillborn infant.
- Figurative (Plans/Efforts):
- Due to lack of funding, the project was stillborn.
- The peace talks were stillborn, collapsing before they even began.
Advanced Usage
- "to be born stillborn": A phrase emphasizing the condition at birth.
- The calf was born stillborn.
- Used metaphorically to describe artistic works, political movements, or business ventures that never gain traction.
- The magazine's launch was stillborn, with the first issue also being its last.
Variants and Related Words
- Stillbirth (noun): The event of giving birth to a dead child.
- She experienced a stillbirth.
- Abortive (adjective): Similar to the figurative sense of 'stillborn,' meaning failing to produce the intended result.
- an abortive attempt
Synonyms
- Literal: Dead at birth, lifeless at birth.
- Figurative: Abortive, futile, unsuccessful, doomed, non-viable.
Antonyms
- Literal: Live-born.
- Figurative: Successful, viable, fruitful, thriving.
Related Idioms/Phrases
- "Dead on arrival (DOA)": While often used literally for a person arriving at a hospital already dead, it is a close figurative synonym for 'stillborn' when describing ideas or plans.
- The new policy was dead on arrival in the committee.
Adjective
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(of newborn infant) showing no signs of life at birth; not liveborn
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a stillborn baby
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failing to accomplish an intended result
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an abortive revolt
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a stillborn plot to assassinate the President
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