1
as in dormant
not being in a state of use, activity, or employment
the inert, abandoned factories that are scattered all over that dying city
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sleepy
slow to move or act
a sleepy, inert reptile that is no threat to people when left alone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 inert
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, 23 July 2025
The code, though, is now inert, and the AI won’t ever let it be performed.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
Of those, 159 gave volunteers only a salt water solution or another inert substance.
—Jake Scott, The Conversation, 26 June 2025
More than half of those studies tested vaccines against inert placebos.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for inert
Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 July 2025
The code, though, is now inert, and the AI won’t ever let it be performed.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
Of those, 159 gave volunteers only a salt water solution or another inert substance.
—Jake Scott, The Conversation, 26 June 2025
More than half of those studies tested vaccines against inert placebos.
—Brenda Goodman, CNN Money, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for inert
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inert
Adjective
-
What should be a tender, feminist-minded story centered on a young woman rediscovering her dormant childhood dreamer turns into a middling melodrama about being with a cute guy in desperate need of her rescue.—
Courtney Howard,
Variety,
1 Aug. 2025
-
After remission, cancer cells may remain dormant for years before spreading— notably in the lungs or other organs—and causing a relapse.—
Hannah Millington,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 July 2025
Adjective
-
As the sleepy sports calendar did its usual job of throttling Peacock’s momentum on the customer-acquisition front, the losses at Comcast’s legacy cable unit were similarly predictable.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
31 July 2025
-
Now, both parties are stepping up their efforts to win control of state legislatures across the country, shining a fresh light on races that have long been considered sleepy affairs.—
Kristina Karisch,
The Hill,
31 July 2025
Adjective
-
Pete Crow-Armstrong, Justin Turner and more were in attendance, taking advantage of the Cubs having an off day after several of them put in a shift signing autographs at The National earlier in the day.—
The Athletic Collectibles Staff,
New York Times,
1 Aug. 2025
-
The attacker, 27-year-old Shane Devon Tamura, entered the office tower with an assault rifle and body armor, fatally shooting a security guard, a Blackstone executive, a Rudin Management associate, and an off-duty NYPD officer before taking his own life.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
31 July 2025
Adjective
-
The only other real difference was that the no-sugar version looked shinier and gummier, whereas the originals were a bit duller in comparison.—
Lisa DeSantis,
Glamour,
29 July 2025
-
Changeable conditions usually make for exciting races, but 2025 was a bit dull.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
28 July 2025
Adjective
-
After hosting pop ups at Batch and elsewhere for a couple of years, Lit offered Fulco the vacant trailer space at Batch.—
Matthew Odam,
Austin American Statesman,
25 July 2025
-
None of the 408 properties — occupied or vacant — at the center of the litigation have a certificate of compliance, according to the city's lawsuit, which also alleges hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid blight violations.—
Nushrat Rahman,
Freep.com,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
After a tumultuous few years of romance, infidelity, breakups and lawsuits, Fleetwood Mac has been largely inactive for decades, though many of its rotating roster of members have had robust solo careers.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
29 July 2025
-
More cannabis licenses are now inactive or surrendered (10,828) than active (8,514), representing the loss of 7,100 small farms, thousands of brands, and nearly 22,000 jobs over two years.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
Those with a relationship cash value of less than $250,000 can get 0.15% APY on their idle funds, while the largest accounts – those with $10 million or above in cash balances – can pick up 2.28%.—
Darla Mercado, CFP®,
CNBC,
22 July 2025
-
Years passed and the farming operation fizzled, then the barn sat idle for nearly three decades.—
Pamela McLoughlin,
Hartford Courant,
17 July 2025
Adjective
-
But just because a stock has been quiescent for a while is no reason to disdain it.—
John Dorfman,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
-
In the early 2000s, the U.S. invasion of Iraq united Iraqi Kurds in a quest to preserve their autonomy, and the rivalry in greater Kurdistan eclipsed the quiescent Kurdish rivalry within Iraq.—
Behnam Ben Taleblu,
Foreign Affairs,
8 Nov. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Inert.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inert. Accessed 8 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share