Not active at the moment but able to become active in the future, like a sleeping volcano or a seed waiting to grow. It can also describe feelings or abilities that are present but not currently being used.
From Old French 'dormant' meaning 'sleeping', from Latin 'dormire' meaning 'to sleep'. The word originally described something literally asleep. Over time, it expanded to cover any kind of temporary inactivity.
Dormant volcanoes aren’t 'dead'—they’re more like someone napping with one eye open, capable of waking suddenly. The same word is used for talents and emotions we’re not using, hinting that parts of us can lie quiet for years. 'Dormant' is a reminder that absence of activity isn’t the same as absence of power.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.