Word: dormant (adjective)

Associations

The word "dormant" means something is not active or not growing right now but can become active later. It is often used to describe things like volcanoes, plants, or feelings that are "sleeping" or "paused."

• A dormant volcano means the volcano is not erupting now but might erupt in the future.
• A dormant seed means the seed is not growing yet but can start to grow when conditions are right.
• Dormant feelings mean emotions that are hidden or not shown at the moment but could appear later.

Synonym: "inactive" is similar but "dormant" often suggests a temporary pause with the possibility to become active again, while "inactive" can mean no activity for a longer or more permanent time.

Substitution

You can replace "dormant" with:

• inactive (but less hope for future activity)
• sleeping (more informal, like a "sleeping" volcano)
• latent (more scientific, means present but not visible or active now)

Example changes:

• Dormant volcano → inactive volcano (sounds less likely to erupt)
• Dormant feelings → latent feelings (more formal, psychological)

Deconstruction

• Root: "dorm-" comes from Latin "dormire," meaning "to sleep."
• Suffix: "-ant" is used to form adjectives meaning "having the quality of." So "dormant" literally means "sleeping" or "in a sleep-like state."

Inquiry

• Can you think of something in your life that is "dormant" now but might become active later?
• How is "dormant" different from "dead" or "gone"? Why is this difference important?
• Can you use "dormant" to describe a hobby or skill you stopped practicing for a while? How would that sound?