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Dormant: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Dormant adjective. Alive but inactive for a time, like a plant in winter or a resting volcano.
How to say it
DOR-muhnt/ˈdɔːmənt/
2 syllables, stressed on the first (DOR).
Dormant in a sentence
The bulbs lie dormant under the frozen soil until the first warm week of spring.
The volcano has been dormant for centuries, but the villagers still keep an eye on it.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- inactive
- sleeping
- latent
- quiescent
Opposite:
- active
- awake
Where dormant comes from
From Old French dormant, sleeping, from Latin dormire, to sleep.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
The volcano has been _____ for centuries, but the villagers still keep an eye on it.
- dormant
- fluvial
- aestival
Show the answer
dormant: The volcano has been dormant for centuries, but the villagers still keep an eye on it.