dormant

[dawr-muhnt]

adjective

1. lying asleep or as if asleep; inactive, as in sleep; torpid.

   The lecturer's sudden shout woke the dormant audience.

   Synonyms: quiescent
   Antonyms: active, awake

2. in a state of rest or inactivity; inoperative; in abeyance.

   The project is dormant for the time being.

   Synonyms: quiescent

3. Biology.,  in a state of minimal metabolic activity with cessation of growth, either as a reaction to adverse conditions or as part of an organism's normal annual rhythm.

4. Pathology.,  (of a disease) in an inactive phase but not cured; no longer exhibiting symptoms but perhaps only temporarily.

5. undisclosed; unasserted.

   dormant musical talent.

   Synonyms: latent

6. Geology.,  (of a volcano) not having erupted within the last 10,000 years, but having the probability of erupting again.

7. Botany.,  temporarily inactive.

   dormant buds; dormant seeds.

8. (of a pesticide) applied to a plant during a period of dormancy.

   a dormant spray.

9. Heraldry.,  (of an animal) represented as lying with its head on its forepaws, as if asleep.

dormant

/ ˈdɔːmənt /

adjective

1. quiet and inactive, as during sleep

2. latent or inoperative

3. (of a volcano) neither extinct nor erupting

4. biology alive but in a resting torpid condition with suspended growth and reduced metabolism

5. (usually postpositive) heraldry (of a beast) in a sleeping position

dormant

1. Being in an inactive state during which growth and development cease and metabolism is slowed, usually in response to an adverse environment. In winter, some plants survive as dormant seeds or bulbs, and some animals enter the dormant state of hibernation.

2. Not active but capable of renewed activity. Volcanoes that have erupted within historical times and are expected to erupt again are dormant.

Other Word Forms

• nondormant adjective
• semidormant adjective
• dormancy noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of dormant¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English dorma(u)nt, from Anglo-French, present participle of dormir, from Latin dormīre “to sleep”; -ant

Word History and Origins

Origin of dormant¹

C14: from Old French dormant, from dormir to sleep, from Latin dormīre

Synonym Study

See inactive.

Example Sentences

The furniture industry has also been hurt by a dormant housing market, with affordability concerns and economic uncertainty putting off home buyers.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

I hate to admit it, but Benefo is right—I can’t go a day without hearing some news story about a dormant volcano erupting or an avalanche crumbling down a mountainside.

Read more on Literature

Blockchain data from Glassnode show coins that have been dormant since 2010-13 moving for the first time — not in panic but in “persistent, staggered distribution.”

Read more on MarketWatch

The residential-building-products industry, and the roofing market in particular, have struggled from a dormant housing market, which has slowed new-home construction and remodeling activity.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

According to the indictment, the campaign funds were drawn from a dormant state account of another top California Democrat: gubernatorial candidate and former U.S.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• asleep 
• comatose 
• inert 
• inoperative 
• latent 
• passive 
• sidelined www.thesaurus.com
• sluggish