dormant
Definitions
Temporarily inactive but capable of becoming active again; in a state of rest or suspended activity
暂时不活跃但仍可再次活跃的；处于休止或蛰伏状态的
(of a plant, seed, or animal) alive but not growing or developing; in a resting state such as hibernation
（植物、种子或动物）活着但不生长发育的；处于休眠（如冬眠）状态的
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedFrom the Latin present participle dormiēns, 'sleeping': dorm ('sleep') + -ant (adjective ending) = 'in a sleeping state.' The whole force of the word is in that metaphor of sleep rather than death — a dormant thing is only resting and could wake. So a dormant volcano may erupt again, a dormant seed will sprout, and dormant talent is just waiting to be used.
Root dorm still carries 5 more wordsWhy It Means This
The reason dormant is so useful is that it carries a built-in promise of return. 'Inactive' or 'idle' just states that nothing is happening. Dormant says nothing is happening yet — the volcano, the disease, the account, the friendship is asleep, not finished. That sleeping-not-dead nuance is why scientists, doctors, and bankers all reach for the same word.
Usage Guide
dormant is usually used after a linking verb (lie/remain/stay dormant) or before a noun (a dormant volcano). It implies latent potential to reactivate, so it pairs well with things that can 'wake up': volcanoes, seeds, viruses, accounts, talents, conflicts. Don't use it for things that are simply switched off or broken — those are 'inactive' or 'out of order.'
Example Sentences
- 1.
The volcano had been dormant for nearly three hundred years before it erupted.
- 2.
Bulbs lie dormant in the cold soil all winter and bloom in spring.
- 3.
Her interest in painting lay dormant until she retired.
- 4.
The virus can stay dormant in the body for years before symptoms appear.
Easily Confused
dormant vs latent — Both mean 'present but not active.' Dormant pictures something that was once active and could be again (a dormant volcano, a dormant account). Latent describes something hidden that has never shown itself yet (latent talent, a latent defect). Was it awake before? → dormant. Has it just never surfaced? → latent.
Synonym Comparison
- dormant — asleep but able to wake; implies eventual return: a dormant volcano
- inactive — flat, neutral; just not doing anything, no promise of revival
- latent — hidden and not yet shown: latent talent
- idle — not in use right now, often of machines or people: an idle machine
- inert — having no power to act or react at all; chemically or physically lifeless