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 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 But the astronomers suspect this kind of bursty young galaxy in the early universe may someday evolve into what's known as a massive quiescent galaxy in the modern-day cosmos. — Paul Sutter, Space.com, 21 Nov. 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for quiescent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quiescent
  1. sleepy
  2. inactive
  3. inert
  4. torpid
  5. dull
Adjective
  • The kids were tucked in by his side, still sleepy from staying up the night before watching TV.
    — Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Bonds are the sleepy corner of the markets, with yields typically moving a few hundredths of a percentage point.
    — Laurent Belsie, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of sleepy
Adjective
  • Both Russia and China have tested missiles that destroy satellites; a Russian test in 2021 shattered an inactive satellite into more than a thousand pieces.
    — Jeffrey Lewis, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2026
  • There have been periodic stretches when the Jayhawks were inactive.
    — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of inactive
Adjective
  • For the less inert, Hans Grill, a modern British restaurant in sister property 11 Cadogan Gardens, is just a hop, skip, and jump over.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Hopkins said modern safety design wraps uranium fuel pellets in multiple layers of heavy-duty ceramics and graphite casing, and they’re rendered inert when separated.
    — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 29 Aug. 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
  • Designed for limp, oily, and dull hair, the color-safe formula washes away stubborn dirt and grime—common culprits of flat waves—while a lineup of amino acids work to soften and strengthen strands.
    — Madison San Miguel, Allure, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Using the pretense of a documentary film crew, the show follows the excruciatingly dull workday experiences of a paper supply company in a drab office in a bleak industrial estate in Slough, England.
    — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 Sep. 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 5 Sep. 2026.

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