dormant abilities

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "dormant abilities" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe skills or talents that are present but not currently active or utilized. Example: "After years of neglect, she discovered her dormant abilities in painting and decided to take up art classes."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

I sent out another round of emails, this time grounding my interest more specifically in the desire to "awaken dormant abilities in my mind and psyche".

Vice

For centuries the buried ship had occasionally triggered those dormant abilities, which explained the reports of poltergeists; people were unknowingly using their own telekinesis to move objects around, and the ghost sightings were traces of a racial memory.

Wikipedia

In the long run, we might need to uncover and enhance "dormant abilities" by incorporating these valued elements into the curriculum early in the medical school so that the awareness of becoming a clinical teacher should be implanted in the early stage of career development in a medical professional.

BMC Medical Education

But are those dormant abilities really useless and dormant?

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

John Wayne's career as a leading man began in 1930, but he didn't become a star until the late 1940s, when an extraordinary series of films — Howard Hawks's "Red River" (1948), John Ford's "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon" (1949) and Allan Dwan's "Sands of Iwo Jima" (1949) — revealed a new, middle-aged gravity and a dormant ability to play distant, troubled men.

The New York Times

As much as tumor populations undergo extensive evolution during their development, it seems highly unlikely that such a refined property could arise by chance only in the specific population studied in Navin et al., without a preexisting dormant ability to self-regulation.

F1000Research

Yahoo will begin offering a new 'Not My Email' button this week that gives owners of newly claimed, previously dormant, user names the ability to 'return' messages that were not meant for them.

TechCrunch

We combined flow cytometry with Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and histone-2B-GFP (H2B-GFP) label-retaining assays that depend on the ability of dormant HSCs to retain a DNA or nuclear protein label over a long chase period (up to 306 days).

Plosone

This differentiation is striking, since evidence for high passive dispersal ability via dormant propagules exists for these organisms [ 12].

BMC Evolutionary Biology

As a result, adjuvant therapies that target the microenvironment in addition to the CSCs may indirectly affect the ability of dormant cells to survive and reactivate, and therefore could be more successful.

Breast Cancer Research

The presence of a late recurrence gene signature in the primary tumor also suggests that intrinsic features of this tumor regulate the transition of disseminated tumor cells into a dormant phenotype with the ability to outgrowth as recurrent disease.

Breast Cancer Research

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing about a character in fiction, you could use "dormant abilities" to hint at a hidden power or talent that will be revealed later in the story.

Common error

Avoid using "dormant abilities" to describe something that has never existed or is purely theoretical. The phrase implies that the ability is already present in some form, even if it's not actively used.

Linguistic Context

Grammatically, "dormant abilities" functions as a noun phrase, where "dormant" acts as an adjective modifying the noun "abilities". The phrase describes a state of existing skills that are not currently active. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

42%

News & Media

33%

Wiki

17%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

4%

Formal & Business

4%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "dormant abilities" refers to skills or talents that are present but not currently active or being used. Ludwig AI confirms the phrase is grammatically correct and usable in written English. It is often used to describe potential that is waiting to be awakened or developed, as shown in the provided examples. While "dormant abilities" is applicable in diverse contexts, ranging from science and medicine to personal development, it's important to use it accurately, ensuring that the described abilities are indeed present, not merely theoretical. Alternatives like "latent talents" or "untapped potential" can offer nuanced alternatives depending on the intended emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

latent talents

Replaces "abilities" with "talents" and "dormant" with "latent", suggesting a potential that is present but not yet developed.

untapped potential

Focuses on the unrealized aspect of the abilities, implying they are available but not yet used.

hidden skills

Emphasizes the concealed nature of the abilities, suggesting they are not readily apparent.

undeveloped capabilities

Highlights the lack of development in the abilities, implying a need for cultivation.

sleeping talents

Uses a metaphorical term for "dormant", suggesting inactivity and potential for awakening.

unrealized potential

Similar to "untapped potential", but with a stronger emphasis on the potential not having been brought to fruition.

untapped skills

Like 'untapped potential' focused on the skills aspect and how it hasn't been explored yet.

inactive abilities

Directly states that the abilities are not currently in use, suggesting a state of idleness.

potential skills

Highlights the possible nature of the skills.

latent capabilities

Replaces both words with synonyms, keeping the meaning intact.

FAQs

How to use "dormant abilities" in a sentence?

"Dormant abilities" refers to skills or capabilities that are present but not currently active or developed. For example, "Years after her athletic career ended, she discovered her "dormant abilities" in coaching."

What can I say instead of "dormant abilities"?

You can use alternatives like "latent talents", "untapped potential", or "hidden skills" depending on the specific context.

What's the difference between "dormant abilities" and "potential skills"?

"Dormant abilities" implies the skills already exist within someone but are not being used, while "potential skills" suggests the skills could be developed with training or experience. "Dormant" indicates a state of inactivity for something already present, whereas "potential" refers to a future possibility.

Is it correct to say "awaken dormant abilities"?

Yes, it is correct. The phrase "awaken dormant abilities" is often used to describe the process of bringing these latent skills or talents into conscious use or development. The examples in the search results confirm this usage.