stillborn

American  

[stil-bawrn] / ˈstɪlˌbɔrn /

adjective

1. dead when born.

2. ineffectual from the beginning; abortive; fruitless.

   a stillborn plan of escape.

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stillborn British  

/ ˈstɪlˌbɔːn /

adjective

1. (of a fetus) dead at birth

2. (of an idea, plan, etc) fruitless; abortive; unsuccessful

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noun

1. a stillborn fetus or baby

Etymology

Origin of stillborn

First recorded in 1590–1600; still ¹ + born

Example Sentences

Opening an inquest in Crook, County Durham and Darlington senior coroner Jeremy Chipperfield heard the baby was full-term but it was not clear if he had been stillborn.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

But in her last year of primary school, tragedy struck her family when her brother Alfie was stillborn and the young Ayla wrongly thought it was her fault.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

Two horses were dead when he arrived, including a foal that appeared stillborn or miscarried.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 22, 2026

The opening chorus of Act 2, in which the Puritans grieve over Elvira’s madness, features a woman giving birth to a stillborn baby in full view of the community.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

Two poor, ruffle-feathered mothers without a breath between them, bound to their stillborn future.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver