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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inert
These are inert and do not react with the wine.
—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
25 June 2026
On a chunk of gold, this is not an issue because there are plenty of atoms to go around, so each surface ends up almost completely inert.
—
Chris Lee,
ArsTechnica,
9 June 2026
At other times, the music meditates on an image — there’s a tribute to Sylvia Plath, another famous McLean patient — that’s beautiful on its own but dramatically inert.
—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
5 June 2026
For a while, Claude kept spitting out the same inert passages, in which Jay Gatsby or Sherlock Holmes did a whole lot of nothing and had no opinion about the very little that was happening around them.
—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for inert
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
25 June 2026
On a chunk of gold, this is not an issue because there are plenty of atoms to go around, so each surface ends up almost completely inert.
—
Chris Lee,
ArsTechnica,
9 June 2026
At other times, the music meditates on an image — there’s a tribute to Sylvia Plath, another famous McLean patient — that’s beautiful on its own but dramatically inert.
—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
5 June 2026
For a while, Claude kept spitting out the same inert passages, in which Jay Gatsby or Sherlock Holmes did a whole lot of nothing and had no opinion about the very little that was happening around them.
—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for inert
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inert
Adjective
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Some of the renovations have been successful; fountains are running anew, including the long-dormant cascading water feature at the city’s popular Meridian Hill Park.
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Our bedroom is obviously dormant and dead, but that’s ok too.
Adjective
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Unlike much of the group stage, Sunday’s game was a sloppy, sleepy affair, with South Africa relying on some heroic play from its back line to keep the game even.
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The phone achieved download speeds of 463Mbps and upload speeds of 39Mbps in 5G testing in sleepy suburban areas.
Adjective
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For a team that began the season with off days coming at a premium, a brief stretch with two open dates is a respite from the wear and tear of a long season.
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His shot diet is already optimized for the league, his frame holds up in physical matchups and his off-ball activity gives coaches a willing piece to weave into screen and handoff actions.
Adjective
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Besides toning color, this shampoo acts as a gentle clarifier, removing product buildup from the roots and hair that can make your hair appear dull and greasy.
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The practical step is small and dull, which feels about right.
Adjective
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Now, owners face rising costs and limited revenue, leading to over 57,000 vacant units.
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When Vine Street Brewing opened in a long-vacant building in 2023, redevelopment in the district was still gaining momentum.
Adjective
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Uvalde County also reported its first case, bringing the total number of Texas cases to 28, with 22 active and 6 inactive.
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It is stored in an inactive form in cells such as the liver, spleen, bone marrow, and immune system—acting as the body’s reserve bank, indicating how much iron is available for future use.
Adjective
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Reclaiming idle assets cuts waste, spend and unnecessary procurement at the same time.
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No, not the usual idle front-row niceties, but the scorching heat wave that has settled like a dense cloud over the City of Lights.
Adjective
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For galaxies with a quiescent supermassive black hole, astronomers measure how quickly the stars tightly packed near the center of the galaxy are traveling.
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As oil prices drop with the Iran war quiescent, US consumers might hope price rises could level off.
Cite this Entry
“Inert.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inert. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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