quiescent
adjective
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Quiescent won't cause you any pain, and neither will its synonyms latent, dormant, and potential—at least not immediately. All four words mean "not now showing signs of activity or existence." Latent usually applies to something that has not yet come forth but may emerge and develop, as in "a latent talent for opera singing." Dormant implies a state of inactivity similar to sleep, as in "their passions lay dormant." Potential applies to what may or may not come to be. "A potential disaster" is a typical example. Quiescent, which traces to Latin quiēscere (meaning "to rest" or "to be quiet"), often suggests a temporary cessation of activity, as in "a quiescent disease" or "a summer resort quiescent in wintertime."
Synonyms
- dull
- inactive
- inert
- lethargic
- sleepy
- sluggish
- torpid
Example Sentences
Sam Deanstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2022 The system typically begins in a relatively quiescent state. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 2 May 2022 But too many appear quiescent, perhaps unaware of the true nature of the war in Ukraine being fought in their name. Tunku Varadarajan, WSJ, 25 Mar. 2022 This is the first time many adults have experienced meaningful inflation: Price gains had been largely quiescent since the late 1980s. New York Times, 20 Jan. 2022 In other words, an economic meltdown is a potential threat to the implicit social compact in China between authoritarian rulers and a quiescent population. Thomas J. Duesterberg, WSJ, 20 Dec. 2021 He was inspired, in part, by the work of 19th-century Scottish botanist Robert Brown, who in 1827 reported the bizarre dance of pollen grains in a quiescent water droplet viewed through a microscope. Daniel Garisto, Scientific American, 7 Oct. 2021 Other than that, though, Mormon culture is a quiescent subtext, lurking in the background but largely unexplored. The Salt Lake Tribune, 16 Sep. 2021 In the absence of a threat, immune cells are quiescent. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 3 Sep. 2021 See More Word History
borrowed from Latin quiēscent-, quiēscens, present participle of quiēscere "to repose, fall asleep, rest, be quiet," inchoative derivative of a base quiē-, going back to Indo-European *kwi̯eh1- "have a rest" — more at quiet entry 1
1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Medical Definition
quiescent
adjective
quiescent
adjective
Synonyms & Similar Words
- sleepy
- inactive
- torpid
- inert
- motionless
- dull
- lethargic
- sluggish
- resting
- dormant
- indolent
- lazy
- static
- apathetic
- listless
- sedentary
- shiftless
- asleep
- still
- slothful
- languorous
- inanimate
- ambitionless
- comatose
- slack
- drugged
- catatonic
- dead
- sluggard
- drowsy
- lazyish
- sluggardly
- dopey
- somnambulant
- dopy
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- active
- engaged
- occupied
- busy
- vigorous
- dynamic
- working
- energetic
- lively
- kinetic
- spirited
- vital
- animated
- sprightly
- vivacious
- bouncing
- industrious
- assiduous
- diligent
- perky
- springy
- hardworking
- peppy
- zippy
- sedulous
Synonym Chooser
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.
While in some cases nearly identical to quiescent, dormant suggests the inactivity of something (such as a feeling or power) as though sleeping.
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.
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.