This word confusion morbid vs moribund are both related to death — and do begin with the same three letters, but . . .
Morbid is grisly and gruesome with an obsession with disease and diseased parts.
Moribund is when a person or thing is about to die. They are in a state of inactivity or obsolescence.
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noir for you from either end.
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| Morbid | Moribund |
|---|---|
Ambroise Pare, Who introduced the Ligature of Arteries by Josep Planella i Coromina under the CC BY 4.0 license, via Look and Learn. — Looks pretty morbid to me. |
A Moribund Grove of Trees by xgeorgeo is in the public domain, via PxHere. |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Adjective | Adjective |
| Characterized by an unusual interest in disturbing and unpleasant subjects, especially death and disease
[Medicine] Of the nature of or indicative of disease
Suggesting an unhealthy mental state or attitude
Pertaining to diseased parts Gruesome
Productive of disease |
[Of a person] At the point of death
On the verge of extinction or termination Not progressing or advancing
|
| Examples: | |
| He had a morbid fascination with the horrors of contemporary warfare.
She’ll need the treatment for morbid obesity. He has a morbid interest in death. “Most people who have been infected with the Heartland virus have made a full recovery with this kind of supportive care, the CDC says, but there have been several deaths among elderly individuals with co-morbid conditions” (Todd). Morbid anatomy is that branch of medical science concerned with the study of the structure of diseased organs and tissues. She has such a morbid curiosity. “These are some morbid substances,” she said in horror. |
On examination she was moribund and dehydrated.
He arrived at the hospital moribund and passed away a few hours later. Ideally patients will be enrolled before they are moribund and on “death’s door”. They were a moribund species, largely due to human encroachment on their natural habitat. It was a moribund commercial property market with businesses shutting down right and left. Is the Democratic Party a moribund political party? Many older books and journals are moribund due to an acid residue from paper manufacturing that causes their pages to brown and crumble. |
| Derivatives: | |
| Adjective: premorbid Adverb: morbidly, premorbidly Noun: morbidity, morbidness |
Adjective: unmoribund Adverb: moribundly, unmoribundly Noun: moribundity |
| History of the Word: | |
| Mid-17th century (in the medical sense) is from the Latin morbidus, from morbus meaning disease. | Early 18th century, from the Latin moribundus, from mori meaning to die. |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
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Resources for Morbid versus Moribund
Apple Dictionary.com
Collins Dictionary: morbid
Dictionary.com: morbid, moribund
Lexico.com: moribund
Merriam-Webster: morbid
Todd, Carolyn L. “What Is the Heartland Virus, the Potentially Deadly Tick-Borne Illness Found in At Least 6 States?” Health. SELF, 17 Mar 2022. Web. 5 Aug 2022. <https://www.self.com/story/heartland-virus-tick-borne-illness>.
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Christ Carrying the Cross by Martin Schongauer is in the public domain, courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum, via Wikimedia Commons.
