dormancy
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of dormancy
Explanation
A period of inactivity, with no moving or growing, is dormancy. A bear is in a stage of dormancy when it hibernates: both its heart rate and body temperature become very low and it doesn't do much besides sleep. You can describe any state of deep sleep or profound calm and quiet as dormancy, like your weekend of dormancy after an incredibly hectic week at school. It's mainly used in a more scientific way, though, to talk about the dormancy some animals go through in the winter in order to save valuable energy or the dormancy of certain plants during a dry season. Other things that are temporarily inactive, like volcanoes, also experience dormancy.
Vocabulary lists containing dormancy
Plants (Botany) - High School
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for August 30–September 5, 2025
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One potential bright spot for the private-equity industry is the IPO market, which is coming back to life after years of dormancy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
The “Cicada” nickname refers to this subvariant’s apparent dormancy before it reemerged in 2025, akin to some periodically active insects of the same name.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 20, 2026
The third installment of the “28 Years” zombie franchise reboots the series after more than a decade of dormancy following 2007’s “28 Weeks Later.”
From Salon ● Jan. 3, 2025
Leaving ludicrous Civil War–era laws on the books in their dormancy was easier politically than going out of your way to excise them, just in case.
From Slate ● Apr. 11, 2024
I crouch by the trunk, my fingers stroking the bark, seeking a Braille code, a clue, a message on how to come back to life after my long undersnow dormancy.
From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
