Synonyms of inaction

inaction

noun

(ˌ)i-ˈnak-shən 

as in inertia

lack of action or activity

as a result of the park department's inaction, the city's pools are not ready to open for the summer

Synonyms & Similar Words

• inertia
• inactivity
• nonaction
• inertness
• idleness
• laziness
• quiescence
• lethargy
• dormancy
• sleepiness
• indolence
• sloth
• sluggishness
• lounging
• loafing
• lassitude
• languor
• shiftlessness
• listlessness
• dallying
• lolling

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• action
• activity
• activeness
• exuberance
• robustness
• vivacity
• liveliness
• industry
• vibrancy
• briskness
• employment
• occupation
• diligence
• sprightliness
• business
• industriousness
• assiduity
• animateness
• jazziness
• peppiness
• assiduousness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of inaction

Last week, a day after The Times sent Reddit a detailed inquiry about its inaction, the company abruptly shut down the group. —Katherine Rosman, New York Times, 1 May 2025

Across the country, universities are endorsing by their inaction a growing number of issues that are alienating greater numbers of their students. —Wynn Smiley, Baltimore Sun, 24 Apr. 2025

The piece was impossible to grasp in its totality, much as the forces contributing to the deterioration of the environment are difficult for us as humans to apprehend, which pushes us toward inaction or neglect. —Naima Morelli, Artforum, 1 May 2025

The cost of inaction far outweighs the cost of implementation. —Richard Danforth, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025