Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of inert are idle, inactive, passive, and supine. While all these words mean "not engaged in work or activity," 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 would idle be a good substitute for inert?

The words idle and inert can be used in similar contexts, but idle applies to persons that are not busy or occupied or to their powers or their implements.

workers were idle in the fields

In what contexts can inactive take the place of inert?

While in some cases nearly identical to inert, inactive applies to anyone or anything not in action or in operation or at work.

on inactive status as an astronaut
inactive accounts

When can passive be used instead of inert?

The words passive and inert 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 could supine be used to replace inert?

While the synonyms supine and inert are close in meaning, 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 inert These layers are separated by an inert polymer spacer to help steer their interactions and sandwiched between reflective silver layers that help control how light from a green 514-nanometer laser energizes the device. IEEE Spectrum, 23 July 2025 As a result, any phone placed inside such a bag becomes effectively inert. Ray Ravaglia, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025 Otherwise praise is performance as progressive bills backed majorities of residents continue to die in the hands of our inert supermajority. Abdul Osmanu, Hartford Courant, 30 July 2025 The white dwarf is the star's exposed and extremely hot (but inert) core. Keith Cooper, Space.com, 30 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for inert
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inert
Adjective
  • The drought put brush and other vegetation in the area into dormant, winter-like states, fire behavior analyst Kevin Thompson said during the Monday night meeting.
    Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 12 Aug. 2025
  • 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
Adjective
  • The goal is to evolve The Really Useful Group from a sleepy theater company into an entertainment powerhouse with a hand in everything from gaming to movies to consumer products.
    Brent Lang, Variety, 13 Aug. 2025
  • By the time morning arrives in the sleepy hamlet of Maybrook, Pennsylvania only one student, Alexy Lilly (Cary Christopher) remains.
    Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 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
  • The shampoo won't clean as well and can leave behind residue that makes your hair look dull and lifeless.
    Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 11 Aug. 2025
  • With major season getting over, August is dull, and McIlroy's absence has become a lightning rod for debates about player responsibility and the Tour's authority.
    Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 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
  • 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, Idaho Statesman, 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
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

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Cite this Entry

“Inert.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inert. Accessed 24 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on inert

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