1
as in sleeping
being in a state of suspended consciousness
the bears lay dormant in their den during the winter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in vacant
not being in a state of use, activity, or employment
the engine lay dormant in the garage until we found a use for it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dormant
The cause of the blaze has not been determined, but the company has acknowledged that it may have been sparked by a faulty dormant power line operated by Edison.
—
Caroline Petrow-Cohen, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025
Perhaps the Flyers believe that a certain segment of the fan base that’s been dormant through what has been a mostly incompetent decade will awaken with the return of one of the organization’s most popular all-time players now running the day-to-day operations at ice level.
—Kevin Kurz, New York Times, 21 May 2025
Senate Democrats also raised questions about donations people connected to those credits made to Long’s dormant Senate campaign, after Trump announced his nomination to head the IRS.
—Kate Dore, Cfp®, Ea, CNBC, 20 May 2025
Balenciaga remained dormant until 1986, when beauty firm Jacques Bogart SA acquired the intellectual property and resumed operations, including licensing.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for dormant
Caroline Petrow-Cohen, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2025
Perhaps the Flyers believe that a certain segment of the fan base that’s been dormant through what has been a mostly incompetent decade will awaken with the return of one of the organization’s most popular all-time players now running the day-to-day operations at ice level.
—Kevin Kurz, New York Times, 21 May 2025
Senate Democrats also raised questions about donations people connected to those credits made to Long’s dormant Senate campaign, after Trump announced his nomination to head the IRS.
—Kate Dore, Cfp®, Ea, CNBC, 20 May 2025
Balenciaga remained dormant until 1986, when beauty firm Jacques Bogart SA acquired the intellectual property and resumed operations, including licensing.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for dormant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dormant
Adjective
-
Housing has emerged as a key issue in this year’s mayoral race as the city reels from skyrocketing rents and a dearth of vacant apartments, and there’s widespread agreement more units must be built.—
Chris Sommerfeldt,
New York Daily News,
6 June 2025
-
Hartford Prints! has taken over a vacant storefront next door, has broken down a wall and joined the two spaces.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
1 June 2025
Adjective
-
Infant Lili — who seemed to be asleep! — kept cozy in a striped hat as Meghan held her daughter in her arms.—
Janine Henni,
People.com,
4 June 2025
-
In addition to the Washington, D.C., and Boulder attacks, a 38-year-old man was arrested in April and charged with firebombing the Pennsylvania governor's residence in Harrisburg, while Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish, and his family were asleep inside, officials said.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
In a busy warehouse, for instance, human workers and multiple robots performing different tasks—often from different vendors—need a unified system that ensures smooth collaboration, avoiding collisions and idle time.—
Florian Pestoni,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
-
The result is that homes are sitting idle on the market, forcing sellers to offer price cuts to lure in buyers.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
Telogen Stage The telogen stage of the hair cycle is a resting phase, during which the hair doesn't grow, and the follicle is dormant.1 About 10% to 15% of the hairs on your body are in this resting phase at any one time, which typically lasts for a few months.—
Nancy LeBrun,
Verywell Health,
13 Jan. 2025
-
Green Bay could finish as high as sixth in the NFC if the resting Rams lose to the 49ers, potentially setting up a first-round matchup against the division-rival Lions.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
6 Jan. 2024
Adjective
-
Network segmentation can prevent the spread of ransomware, so apply it. Disable all unused ports.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
-
While sorting through storage in their Rhode Island studio to prep those reissues, Ivy stumbled upon a treasure trove of reel-to-reel tapes and old hard drives with unused material.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
For those who aren’t seeking beach time, the island also was praised for offering historic sites, golf courses and other off-shore activities.—
Simone Jasper,
Miami Herald,
3 June 2025
-
After an off day Thursday, the Arizona Diamondbacks come to GABP for three games.—
C. Trent Rosecrans,
New York Times,
2 June 2025
Adjective
-
Emergency responders performed life-saving measures before he was pronounced dead, Allard said.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
7 June 2025
-
The female passenger — who has not been identified by the Placer County Sheriff’s Office coroner division — was pronounced dead at the scene.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
As one of her earliest albums returns, the singer also reaches a lofty landmark figure for the very first time, proving that her catalog remains hugely popular, even if her career is essentially inactive.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
-
The Fever's game against the Washington Mystics on Wednesday marked the first time in Clark's WNBA that she was listed as inactive.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dormant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dormant. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share