stillborn C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities Also spelled still-born US /ˈstɪlˌbɔrn/ UK /ˈstɪlˌbɔːn/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 adj born dead, or failing from the outset The reform was stillborn, blocked before it ever reached a vote. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 adj · born dead, or failing from... lifelessunsuccessfulabortivefailedfruitless ↔ Opposites successfulthrivingviable Word family Related forms stillbornstillbirth Etymology AI details A compound of 'still' (Old English 'stille', motionless, here in the sense of dead) and 'born' (past participle of 'bear', Old English 'beran'). stille Old English beran Old English View etymology graph -> Topics Describing Qualities External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # stillborn **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** adj **IPA (US):** /ˈstɪlˌbɔrn/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈstɪlˌbɔːn/ ## Meanings 1. born dead, or failing from the outset ## Examples - The reform was stillborn, blocked before it ever reached a vote. ## Synonyms - lifeless - unsuccessful - abortive - failed - fruitless ## Antonyms - successful - thriving - viable ## Related Forms - still - born - stillbirth ## Roots and Affixes - Root: stille - Root: beran ## Etymology A compound of 'still' (Old English 'stille', motionless, here in the sense of dead) and 'born' (past participle of 'bear', Old English 'beran'). ## AI Etymology Stillborn is a compound of 'still' (Old English 'stille', motionless, here in the sense of dead) and 'born' (past participle of 'bear', Old English 'beran'). Important recorded forms include stille (Old English) and beran (Old English). Morphologically, the word preserves a built structure whose named elements carry the historical sense into English. The semantic development is already visible in the history: an older concrete or specialized use was extended into the modern meaning rather than replaced by a separate origin. In current use it covers born dead, or failing from the outset. The wider family includes related words such as still, born, and stillbirth. ## Topics - Describing Qualities markdown