Synonym Chooser

How is the word inactive different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of inactive are idle, inert, passive, and supine. While all these words 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

When could idle be used to replace inactive?

In some situations, the words idle and inactive are roughly equivalent. However, idle applies to persons that are not busy or occupied or to their powers or their implements.

workers were idle in the fields

When can inert be used instead of inactive?

The words inert and inactive can be used in similar contexts, but 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

When is it sensible to use passive instead of inactive?

The words passive and inactive are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

When is supine a more appropriate choice than inactive?

The meanings of supine and inactive largely overlap; however, supine applies only to persons and commonly implies abjectness or indolence.

a supine willingness to play the fool

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 inactive Compared to inactive participants, weekend warriors cut their risk of dying from any cause by 21%, and from cardiovascular disease by 33%. New Atlas, 25 July 2025 Data centers that remain inactive for more than 15 consecutive months have to be decommissioned, according to the ordinance. Deborah Laverty, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2025 The case is listed as inactive and pending after the state asked to keep the case open. Idaho Statesman, 11 Aug. 2025 After an individual is infected with EBV, the virus becomes inactive in their body, but may reactivate in some cases, with the potential for symptoms to resurface. Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for inactive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inactive
Adjective
  • Box Office Mojo reported a slightly different number at $18.0M, but the film still took the top spot during a relatively sleepy box office weekend.
    Rosa Escandon, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
  • In the sleepy world of French regional telecommunications, his methods could be shocking.
    Sam Knight, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Plants require good moisture to bloom but tolerate drier soils when dormant.
    Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 24 Aug. 2025
  • While the field never went entirely dormant, the collapse of dedicated hardware, the brittleness of expert systems, and the failure of national mega-projects combined to bring about the second AI winter.
    Paulo Carvão, Forbes.com, 24 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Khanna is one of a number of progressive congressional Democrats encouraged by the party to appear in red-district town halls in an attempt to rebut impressions that the party is quiescent in the face of Trump’s onslaught.
    Andrew Cockburn, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025
  • That means studying these high-speed outflows from this black hole could help scientists to discover how black hole eruptions transform galaxies from hubs of star birth to a more quiescent existence.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • Interim manager Ray Montgomery agreed that plan made sense, despite the recent number of off days.
    Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 12 Aug. 2025
  • The game was suspended due to rain in the first inning and then completed the following afternoon, which was supposed to be an off day.
    John Perrotto, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • And so to their kits, which more often than not are just not especially interesting: take this away strip, with its mid-2000s retro styling and pleasant off-white piping, but is just…quite dull.
    Nick Miller, New York Times, 24 Aug. 2025
  • Harsh chemicals like bleach and ammonia can strip the finish and dull the surface, leaving the floor prone to scratches and other damage.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The South First Street project would bring different housing options and retail space to a largely vacant site, said Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic, whose district includes the area.
    Tom Daykin, jsonline.com, 18 Aug. 2025
  • Perri did wear No 12, which is vacant, at Botafogo in the past.
    The Athletic UK Staff, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Originally supposed to fly Sierra Space Dream Chaser test flight, but payload switched to an inert mass simulator because of potential Dream Chaser delays beyond October launch date.
    Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2025
  • The traditional view is that collagen-rich connective tissues such as tendons, ligaments, and cartilage are effectively inert, with very limited ability to grow or repair themselves after injury.
    Alex Hutchinson, Outside, 11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The error can cause the daytime running lights may dim unexpectedly when the idle start-stop feature cycles the engine from off to on.
    James Powel, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2025
  • But when that noise quiets, the brain doesn’t just go idle.
    Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 13 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Inactive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inactive. Accessed 31 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on inactive

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