Standard Lemma guide

quiescent

adj · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /kwaɪˈɛsənt/
  • /kwiˈɛsənt/
  • [kwaɪ̯ˈɛsn̩t]
  • [kwiˈɛsn̩t]
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɛsənt
  • CMU ARPABET: K W AY0 EH1 S AH0 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Inactive, quiet, at rest.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The bats were quiescent at that time of day, so we slowly entered the cave.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dormant, torpid, abeyant, at rest, cessant, dull, fallow, idle, inactive, inert, languid, latent, nonactive, passive, quiescent, silent, sedent, sedentary, slow, suspended, unactive, unbusy, unemployed, unoccupied, calm, still, tranquil, steady, collected, composed, cool-headed, equable, equanimous, equanimitable, even-keeled, even-minded, even-tempered, imperturbable, laid-back, level-headed, mellow, pacate, pacific, peaceable, peaceful, phlegmatic, placid, quiet, relaxed, roolie, sedate, serene, unexcited, unfazed, unflappable, unflustered, unperturbable, unruffable, unruffled, untumultuous

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Not sounded; silent.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: communications, journalism, literature, media, orthography, publishing, writing

Examples

  • The k is quiescent in "knight" and "know".

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: servile

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Non-proliferating.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, cytology, medicine, natural-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

(pathology) causing no symptoms

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a quiescent tumor

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

being quiet or still or inactive

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

not active or activated

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the quiescent level of centimeter wave-length solar radiation

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective satellite

Meaning 7

marked by a state of tranquil repose

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the quiescent melancholy of the town

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin quiēscēns, quiēscentem.

Across languages

Translations

18 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: неподвижен (nepodvižen) — Inactive, at rest, quiet
  • Chinese Mandarin: 靜止的 /静止的 — Inactive, at rest, quiet
  • French: calme — Inactive, at rest, quiet
  • French: tranquille — Inactive, at rest, quiet
  • French: quiescent — Inactive, at rest, quiet
  • Georgian: უძრავი (uʒravi) — Inactive, at rest, quiet
  • Georgian: უმოქმედო (umokmedo) — Inactive, at rest, quiet
  • Georgian: მშვიდი (mšvidi) — Inactive, at rest, quiet
  • German: ruhig — Inactive, at rest, quiet
  • Greek: αδρανής (adranís) — Inactive, at rest, quiet
  • Ancient Greek: ἀδρανής (adranḗs) — Inactive, at rest, quiet
  • Hungarian: nyugodt — Inactive, at rest, quiet
  • Ido: repozanta — Inactive, at rest, quiet
  • Portuguese: quiescente — Inactive, at rest, quiet
  • Russian: неподви́жный (nepodvížnyj) — Inactive, at rest, quiet
  • Russian: споко́йный (spokójnyj) — Inactive, at rest, quiet
  • Spanish: quiescente — Inactive, at rest, quiet
  • Ottoman Turkish: ساكن (sakin) — Inactive, at rest, quiet