unborn

unborn — adjective

1. describes a baby or young animal that is still growing inside its mother's body,

1.形容詞B2
釋義

describes a baby or young animal that is still growing inside its mother's body, before the process of entering the world begins.

例句

Dr. Yamada checked the unborn baby's heartbeat during the twenty-week ultrasound.

attributive use: unborn + baby

Saira stopped drinking coffee after learning it could harm her unborn child.

同義詞
  • prenatal

    Describes the period, care, or development before birth, not the baby itself — e.g. prenatal vitamins, not 'prenatal baby'

  • fetal

    Strictly medical; relates to the biological stage of the fetus, rarely used in everyday speech

  • antenatal

    British English equivalent of 'prenatal'; describes care or screening before birth

反義詞
  • born

    Simple opposite; a baby that has already entered the world

  • newborn

    A baby in the first days or weeks after birth

文法句型

unborn + noun (e.g. unborn baby, unborn child)

the + unborn (nominal use referring to unborn children as a group)

generations yet unborn (fixed phrase)

用法筆記

Describes only the baby or animal itself — never the mother (a woman carrying a baby is 'pregnant', not 'unborn'). The noun phrase 'the unborn' refers collectively to all unborn children and is most common in legal, ethical, and political discussions.

常見錯誤

❌She is unborn with her first child.
✅She is pregnant with her first child.
💡'unborn' describes the baby, not the mother.
❌The doctor recommended an unborn check-up.
✅The doctor recommended a prenatal check-up.
💡'unborn' is not used for medical procedures or tests.