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 Boston Metal The key to the success of the recent test that led to the creation of a ton of molten metal is Boston Metal's inert anode which can drive the electrical process in the reactor without degrading. Michael Franco, New Atlas, 13 Mar. 2025 Neoprene is relatively inert and resists degradation, and it is used in clothing, masks and accessories. Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 7 Mar. 2025 Melena flags a hand limply at her older daughter as Nanny hoists Nessa onto the edge of the cot, where the girl lies, inert and cringing, in the lee of the tumulus that Melena has become. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 5 Mar. 2025 No such thing exists, writes restaurant critic Bill Addison, because perfection is inert and a martini is anything but. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for inert
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inert
Adjective
  • Like the virus that causes chicken pox (varicella-zoster), HPV can lie dormant in the body for decades.
    Liz Szabo, Scientific American, 29 Apr. 2025
  • Technology teams were left stranded, waiting months for essential components or scrambling to find alternatives from dormant inventories to maintain continuity.
    Archaana Pattabhii, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • In a video shared by A Dog's Hideaway, another golden called Butters was equally sleepy after hours of fun at day care.
    Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Alice finds herself on the sleepy Little Crescent Island, hoping to interview mysterious heiress Margaret Ives.
    Maya Layne, Vogue, 22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Except the Giants did it without an off day, on both sides of the country, and against contending teams.
    Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
  • That was enough for the Cavaliers to overcome an off day from All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, who totaled just 13 points on 4-of-14 shooting from the field and 3-of-8 shooting on threes.
    Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Designed for Uncertainty – And the Next Economic Landscape Think defense stocks are dull?
    Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025
  • Indeed, early American industrial work was demanding, dull, and dangerous.
    Made by History, Time, 21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • In her next fight, Shevchenko faced ex-women’s strawweight champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk for the vacant flyweight title.
    Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 19 Apr. 2025
  • And several blocks of tunnel below Chinatown, dug half a century ago for the Second Avenue subway, remain a vacant, unseen taunt.
    Justin Davidson, Curbed, 18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Boston played its previous 19 games with at least one starter or rotation player inactive.
    Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 5 Apr. 2025
  • Simple steps—such as checking balances, using debit cards, or logging into digital banking—can prevent accounts from becoming inactive.
    Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • To paraphrase, the real tragedies in life are the ones that blindside you on an idle Tuesday.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Traders borrow to short tokens or increase leverage, long-term holders unlock liquidity without selling, businesses take loans to fund operations, and lenders earn passive yield on idle assets.
    Nina Bambysheva, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Nee and Dimond’s story was sweet and innocent, its L.G.B.T.Q. allegory quiescent beneath an uncontroversial message of acceptance.
    Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2025
  • China now has a large, prosperous middle class that is quiescent out of realistic caution but yearns for more freedom.
    Andrew J. Nathan, Foreign Affairs, 30 May 2019

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Inert.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inert. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on inert

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!