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inanimately

adverb

as in sluggishly

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for inanimately
  1. sluggishly
  2. lazily
  3. dully
  4. tardily
  5. idly
  6. halfheartedly
Adverb
  • The fish looks straight at me, flopping sluggishly from side to side.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Hayes’ 3-pointer from the midcourt logo to end the first quarter keyed the Valkyries’ 24-9 second-quarter surge and enlivened a Golden State group that had started the game sluggishly.
    — Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of sluggishly
Adverb
  • Demis Hassabis has made the same point more bluntly, cautioning that using AI lazily can actually make people worse at critical thinking.
    — Ted Ladd, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The Roamer rolled lazily in the light swell that was coming in from the open lake, and our rod tips dipped and rose, but nobody got a strike.
    — JAMES D. OXLEY, Outdoor Life, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of lazily
Adverb
  • Yikes, this finale fell as flat and dully as Janet’s solo cup hit Danny’s head.
    — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 30 July 2026
  • His audiences stare back at him, dully hostile.
    — Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 14 May 2026
Definition of dully
Adverb
  • While Chanel, which last season shut out guests who arrived a couple of minutes late, started its show — gasp — tardily.
    — THOMAS ADAMSON, ajc, 7 Mar. 2023
Definition of tardily
Adverb
  • Many spent the hours of downtime chatting about the case; others read books or idly gazed out the lofty courthouse windows.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Listen Listening is much more than sitting back and idly taking in information.
    — Esther K. Choy, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of idly
Adverb
  • The show’s interests are theoretically in a nuclear family gradually coming back together, though even that theme is halfheartedly pursued.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 16 July 2026
  • At least four officers stood by during the assaults, while two others halfheartedly attempted to break them up.
    — Jason Henry, Daily News, 9 Apr. 2026
Definition of halfheartedly
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.

Browse Nearby Words

inanimate
inanimately
inanities
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Cite this Entry

“Inanimately.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inanimately. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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