Dormant
Not actively growing or functioning; asleep or temporarily inactive.
adjectiveDormant
Not actively growing or functioning; asleep or temporarily inactive.
adjectiveImagine This
Imagine dorm ants, living in a comfortable full-service dormitory, are usually lazy and inactive. The doormen standing in front of those run-down hotels are usually not very active. They fall asleep easily because there are very few customers.
Sounds Like
DOR-mษnt
Looks Like
Looks like the word splits into 'dorm' (as in dormitory) and 'ant'; resembles 'dormant' visually.
Remember This
Derived from Latin dormire 'to sleep'; related to dormitory and dormouse.
Other Forms
Connect With
latent, inactive, inert, quiescent
Note
Use dormant to describe objects, conditions, or states that are inactive but have the potential to become active again. Do not typically refer to people unless describing a temporary state of sleep or inactivity in a figurative sense.
Study Deeper
- The volcano remained dormant for centuries before erupting.
- Many seeds stay dormant through the winter and sprout in the spring.
From Latin dormire 'to sleep', via Old French dormant; related to dormitory (a place for sleeping) and dormouse.
Mnemonic: DORMANT = DORM ANT: picture a dormitory ant napping to remember 'sleeping' or 'inactive'.
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Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Latent
adjectiveExisting but not yet active; having potential to develop or become visible or actual.
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adjectiveDifficult to understand; obscure or highly complex.
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