quiescent

adjective

kwī-ˈe-sᵊnt How to pronounce quiescent (audio)
Definition of quiescentnext
as in sleepy
slow to move or act a group of quiescent loungers recovering from the Thanksgiving feast

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word quiescent distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of quiescent are dormant, latent, and potential. While all these words mean "not now showing signs of activity or existence," quiescent suggests a usually temporary cessation of activity.

the disease was quiescent

When is it sensible to use dormant instead of quiescent?

While in some cases nearly identical to quiescent, dormant suggests the inactivity of something (such as a feeling or power) as though sleeping.

their passion had lain dormant

When is latent a more appropriate choice than quiescent?

The words latent and quiescent can be used in similar contexts, but latent applies to a power or quality that has not yet come forth but may emerge and develop.

a latent desire for success

Where would potential be a reasonable alternative to quiescent?

In some situations, the words potential and quiescent are roughly equivalent. However, potential applies to what does not yet have existence or effect but is likely soon to have.

a potential disaster

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 quiescent For galaxies with a quiescent supermassive black hole, astronomers measure how quickly the stars tightly packed near the center of the galaxy are traveling. — Mary Ogborn, The Conversation, 25 June 2026 All of that water weight exerts a steady downward pressure, suppressing rifting and magma flow, and keeping the subterranean region relatively quiescent. — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 12 Nov. 2025 Throughout most of modern history, it was thought that prudent government debt management involved bringing down the ratio of debt to GDP during quiescent periods of growth in order to store fiscal ammunition for the next crisis. — Kenneth S. Rogoff, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2025 Local Democratic politicians were strangely quiescent, despite a pre–Catahoula Crunch poll showing that nearly 80 percent of New Orleans residents opposed the deployment. — Daniel Brook, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for quiescent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quiescent
  1. sleepy
  2. inactive
  3. inert
  4. torpid
  5. dull
Adjective
  • His long white oval scleras and perfect-circle black pupils, sometimes open and sometimes closed, are always inexplicably expressive—managing to seem happy, sad, scared, sleepy, shifty, angry, eager, alarmed, mischievous, or murderous.
    — Casey Cep, New Yorker, 7 July 2026
  • Hualde says that some Pamplona residents rue his early promotion of the festival due to the ills of overtourism the sleepy provincial city is now experiencing.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 July 2026
Definition of sleepy
Adjective
  • Uvalde County also reported its first case, bringing the total number of Texas cases to 28, with 22 active and 6 inactive.
    — Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • It is stored in an inactive form in cells such as the liver, spleen, bone marrow, and immune system—acting as the body’s reserve bank, indicating how much iron is available for future use.
    — Tatiana Dias, Vogue, 30 June 2026
Definition of inactive
Adjective
  • Originally supposed to fly Sierra Space Dream Chaser test flight, but payload switched to an inert mass simulator because of potential Dream Chaser delays beyond October launch date.
    — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 June 2026
  • And to relegate yourself to that inert position so much does, at some level, inspire a certain helplessness in you.
    — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 26 June 2026
Definition of inert
Adjective
  • Instead, we’re treated to a series of agonizingly torpid scenes in which Nita and her co-workers are incepted by the power of Adam’s fiction, which comes to assume the force of a self-fulfilling prophecy.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 14 May 2026
  • Free money was great for stock-market investors, but Main Street’s recovery was torpid.
    — Roger Lowenstein, The Atlantic, 16 Jan. 2026
Definition of torpid
Adjective
  • But all work and no play can make for a dull chief scientific officer.
    — Ed Silverman, STAT, 2 July 2026
  • The great speculators became talkative and communicative or dull, sullen, silent, and peevish.
    — Owen Lamont, Fortune, 2 July 2026
Definition of dull

Browse Nearby Words

quiescences
quiescent
quiet
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Cite this Entry

“Quiescent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quiescent. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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