inert

adjective

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in·ert | \ i-ˈnərt

Definition of inert

1 : lacking the power to move

2 : very slow to move or act : sluggish

3 : deficient in active properties especially : lacking a usual or anticipated chemical or biological action

Other Words from inert Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Example Sentences Learn More about inert

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Choose the Right Synonym for inert

inactive, idle, inert, passive, supine mean not engaged in work or activity. inactive applies to anyone or anything not in action or in operation or at work. on inactive status as an astronaut inactive accounts idle applies to persons that are not busy or occupied or to their powers or their implements. workers were idle in the fields inert as applied to things implies powerlessness to move or to affect other things; as applied to persons it suggests an inherent or habitual indisposition to activity. inert ingredients in drugs an inert citizenry passive implies immobility or lack of normally expected response to an external force or influence and often suggests deliberate submissiveness or self-control. passive resistance supine applies only to persons and commonly implies abjectness or indolence. a supine willingness to play the fool

Examples of inert in a Sentence

an inert and lifeless body How does he propose to stimulate the inert economy and create jobs?

Recent Examples on the Web So why do the most visible protest songs of the Trump-era feel so inert? — Chris Richards, Washington Post, "It’s a brave new world. Why is our protest music stuck in the past?," 4 Sep. 2019 The bomb squad found several more grenades, all of which were found to be inert, according to a police department release. — Rebekah Riess And Theresa Waldrop, CNN, "A suicidal man in Philadelphia had 39 firearms, 8 grenades in his home, police say," 29 Aug. 2019 The deep contrast between the two shows that the song itself was ironclad but not inert; that even the most hallowed of recordings could even be improved on with inventiveness and sheer force of charisma. — Andrew R. Chow, Time, "Yesterday’s Beatles Covers Don’t Come Together. Here’s How the Movie Could Have Done Them Justice," 28 June 2019 But the juxtaposition of new and old in Barnes’s collection only makes the old seem inert, a kind of prop, or a few gray-whiskered extras rounded up to fill out a scene. — Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, "Bill Viola’s videos show what art can do and expose what the Barnes Collection lacks," 13 Aug. 2019 Whereas craters on Earth suffer plate tectonics and weather, lunar scars just sit there, inert, like the boot print of an astronaut. — Quanta Magazine, "Asteroid Rate Jumped in Solar System’s Past," 17 Jan. 2019 Hubbard’s thoughts on Thetans will survive anything, as they’re reportedly inscribed on etched steel plates in titanium containers filled with inert argon gas. — Matt Farwell, The New Republic, "Jeffrey Epstein Chose New Mexico for a Reason," 15 Aug. 2019 The Air Force said the dummy bombs, though inert, contain small pyrotechnic charges and should not be handled. — USA TODAY, "Kacey Musgraves, sneaker flap, skiing in July: News from around our 50 states," 3 July 2019 The young woman’s skin is waxen, her eyes unfocused, her posture cramped and scared, her hands inert and curled like claws. — Anne Boyer, Harper's magazine, "Bed Death & Beyond," 19 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'inert.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.