1
as in sleeping
being in a state of suspended consciousness
the bears lay dormant in their den during the winter
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dormant
DeGregori has researched the impact of respiratory viral infections on dormant cancer cells but was not involved with the new study.
—
Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 12 Mar. 2026
Estrada recommends taking your time when repotting dormant plants, usually in the winter.
—Michelle Mastro, The Spruce, 12 Mar. 2026
During dry years, no wildflowers appear above ground, but the seeds remain dormant until rain stimulates germination.
—Cierra Morgan, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Once March and April bring warmer temperatures, heart rates and metabolism increase in bears, signaling the end of the dormant phase.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dormant
Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 12 Mar. 2026
Estrada recommends taking your time when repotting dormant plants, usually in the winter.
—Michelle Mastro, The Spruce, 12 Mar. 2026
During dry years, no wildflowers appear above ground, but the seeds remain dormant until rain stimulates germination.
—Cierra Morgan, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Once March and April bring warmer temperatures, heart rates and metabolism increase in bears, signaling the end of the dormant phase.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dormant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dormant
Adjective
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An autopsy showed that the infant died from asphyxiation secondary to a co-sleeping/overlay event with an unsafe sleeping environment.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Firefighters rushed to downtown Los Angeles to extinguish flames that engulfed a vacant business Thursday afternoon.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
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Two decades later, the land around the stadium remains mostly vacant.—
Luke Cyphers,
Sportico.com,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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While the main areas can be dramatic and flashy with the disco balls, string lights, and bold colors, the rooms are light and serene—the perfect places to unwind and fall blissfully asleep.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Mar. 2026
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Since many hotels usually have a couple pillows of different firmness levels on a bed, falling and staying asleep won’t be a fever dream no matter your sleeping position.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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This inquiry was taken not as a matter of idle curiosity but as an act of insubordination.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
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But the Heat moved one game ahead of the idle seventh-place Toronto Raptors (36-29) on Thursday.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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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
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Taking minoxidil orally can support the hair follicle cycle and trigger anagen (the resting phase) prematurely.—
Jessie Quinn,
Flow Space,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Blue Island City Administrator Thomas Wogan said the land had been unused for decades due to environmental conditions that limited land use.—
Addison Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
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Some Goodwills cannot accept these donations at all, whether used or unused.—
Asia London Palomba,
The Spruce,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Venezuela manager Omar López spent his off day experiencing another side of South Florida’s sports scene.—
Noah Gulley,
Miami Herald,
12 Mar. 2026
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It was later sold in an off-market deal, at which point it was renamed Contigo.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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An Oakland woman was found dead in her cell at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin on Friday, according to an Alameda County Sheriff’s Office press release.—
Nollyanne Delacruz,
Mercury News,
15 Mar. 2026
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Los Angeles Police Department Cuevas was rushed to a nearby hospital at the time, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dormant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dormant. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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