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pregnant

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈpɹɛɡnənt// UK //pɹˈɛɡnənt// preg·nant Archaic General-service Literary

adj. having a baby growing inside the body. It can also describe a moment or silence that feels full of meaning or importance.

adj. carrying developing offspring within the body; also used figuratively to describe a significant or meaningful pause or state of potentiality.


SIMPLE

She is six months pregnant with her first child.

CONTEXTUAL

After the shocking announcement, a pregnant silence filled the room as everyone waited for a response.

COMPLEX

The author uses pregnant metaphors to suggest a deeper political subtext that only becomes apparent upon a second reading of the novel.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology 1

From Middle English preignant, from Old French preignant, pregnant, also prenant (compare archaic Modern French prégnant), and their source, Latin praegnāns (“pregnant”), probably from prae- (“pre-”) + *gnāscī, an archaic form of nāscī (“to be born”). Displaced Old English bearnēacen (literally "child-enlarged").

Etymology 2

Apparently from Middle French pregnant, preignant (“pressing, compelling”), present participle of prembre (“to press”), from Latin premere (“to press”).

Usage

When used figuratively to describe a silence or pause, it typically precedes the noun it modifies.

Pitfall

She is pregnant of a boyShe is pregnant with a boyThe adjective takes the preposition 'with' when specifying the child or the duration.

Idioms1 entry

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