quiescent
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of quiescent
First recorded in 1600–10; from Latin quiēscent- (stem of quiēscēns, present participle of quiēscere ), equivalent to qui-, base meaning “rest, quiet” + -ēsc- inchoative suffix + -ent- -ent
Explanation
The adjective quiescent means "being quiet and still," like the quiescent moments lying in a hammock on a beautiful summer Sunday. To be quiescent, pronounced "qwhy-ESS-ent," is to be quiet, resting, which is exactly what its Latin origin quiescens means: In our busy world, it is hard to find a place to be quiescent. It has a second meaning: "causing no symptoms." For example, if a disease is quiescent, you probably won't know you have it. And finally, quiescent can mean "not activated," like quiescent cleaning products that don't get the stains out.
Vocabulary lists containing quiescent
Mellow Out: Synonyms for "Calm"
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40 SAT words Beginning with "Q"
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Shhhh! Synonyms for "Quiet"
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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.
Quiescent periods of the past have always proved deceptive; the gaiety of the '20s, the silence of the '50s, were both preludes to disaster.
From Time Magazine Archive
Quiescent as he now sat, there was something about his nostril, his mouth, his brow, which, to my perceptions, indicated elements within either restless, or hard, or eager.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
Quiescent; as, f�idh a prophet, cridhe a heart, radh saying, bualadh striking.
From Elements of Gaelic Grammar by Stewart, Alexander
On summer afternoons I sit Quiescent by you in the park, And idly watch the sunbeams gild And tint the ash-trees' bark.
From The Book of American Negro Poetry by Johnson, James Weldon
Quiescent prominences, on the other hand, have a form somewhat like trees, and alter their shape but slowly.
From Astronomy of To-day A Popular Introduction in Non-Technical Language by Dolmage, Cecil Goodrich Julius
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.
