1
as in sleeping
being in a state of suspended consciousness
the bears lay dormant in their den during the winter
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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
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Recent Examples of dormant
As the weather cools and days shorten into winter, indoor plants slow down or go dormant.
—
Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 21 Jan. 2026
Unlike traditional sabotage, these hackers infiltrated networks to remain dormant and undetected, gaining the ability to disrupt the United States’ communications and power systems during a future crisis.
—Saman Zonouz, Fortune, 21 Jan. 2026
In the fall, his longtime chief of staff, Sean McCluskie, pleaded guilty to participating in a scheme to siphon campaign funds from Becerra’s dormant campaign account, a scheme Becerra denied knowledge of.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 21 Jan. 2026
DeSantis in 2022 revived the State Guard, a World War II-era unit that had long been dormant.
—Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dormant
Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 21 Jan. 2026
Unlike traditional sabotage, these hackers infiltrated networks to remain dormant and undetected, gaining the ability to disrupt the United States’ communications and power systems during a future crisis.
—Saman Zonouz, Fortune, 21 Jan. 2026
In the fall, his longtime chief of staff, Sean McCluskie, pleaded guilty to participating in a scheme to siphon campaign funds from Becerra’s dormant campaign account, a scheme Becerra denied knowledge of.
—Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 21 Jan. 2026
DeSantis in 2022 revived the State Guard, a World War II-era unit that had long been dormant.
—Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dormant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dormant
Adjective
-
His eyes were unblinking and vacant.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
One of the latest battles emerged recently in Imperial County, where a court fight has erupted between the city of Imperial and a developer who wants to build a nearly 1 million-square-foot computer center on vacant land along the city’s border.—
James Rainey,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This city, which can sometimes seem almost asleep at the wheel, is suddenly wide awake.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
-
That welfare fraud was real, as the number of convictions attest, and its scale is a stunner and an indictment of the state’s officials, asleep at the wheel.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Kaiser nurses statewide began an indefinite strike Monday, restarting picket lines that went idle after a five-day work stoppage in October 2025.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
-
With burly melancholy, Wong plays Ah Tseng, a Chinese migrant worker employed — with his young nephews — in the Rock Springs coal mines, though introduced on an idle day off in their makeshift camp.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This is a condition where, due to stress or hormonal changes, the body puts the hair follicles into a resting phase.—
Essence,
Essence,
19 Dec. 2025
-
Taking minoxidil orally can support the hair follicle cycle and trigger anagen (the resting phase) prematurely.—
Jessie Quinn,
Flow Space,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
When comparing pallet size to containers or trucks, is there any unused space?—
Ken Bowles,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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Over a beneficiary’s lifetime, up to $35,000 in unused 529 funds can be transferred to a Roth IRA in their name, provided the 529 account has been open for at least 15 years.—
Natalie Wu,
CNBC,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Johnson and Giaccio both incorporate Pilates into their off-snow work and use the NordicTrack Ultra 1 Reform RX-S reformer.—
Michelle Bruton,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Then on the winner, Robertson bore down on his off wing and, before Pavel Zacha could get his stick in the shooting lane, the defenseman snapped off a forehand shot that found the back of the net.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Medics immediately delivered aid, but Pretti was pronounced dead at the site of the shooting.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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Medics immediately tried to deliver medical aid to the subject, McLaughlin said, but he was pronounced dead on scene.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
25 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Doubs was also inactive in Weeks 13-14 due to a concussion.—
Rob Reischel,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
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Lawyers for Byrd and Smart & Safe Florida are appealing Sjostrom’s decisions at the 1st District Court of Appeal, with the state challenging part of the ruling dealing with inactive voters and the committee appealing the part of the ruling about out-of-state petition gatherers.—
Dara Kam,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dormant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dormant. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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