as in laziness
an inclination not to do work or engage in activities
the inertia that grips so many of the club's members is the reason why nothing ever gets done
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inertia
That’s not because its member countries have suddenly stopped squabbling or its bureaucratic inertia has melted away.
—
Joseph De Weck, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
Over that first act, however, the film also resists much narrative or thematic momentum, unfolding in glimpses and vignettes meant to underscore inertia and to emphasize production design.
—Ben Croll, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2026
Ships have real inertia and Newtonian physics, and pilots can choose to toggle flight assistance on to help stabilize their often unpredictable craft, or off to perform mind-bending maneuvers that can be the edge between life and death in high-skill player versus player shootouts.
—Alan Bradley, Space.com, 31 Jan. 2026
Bruening believes the market for specific skate types is just too small, the cost of development and rollout too high, and the cultural inertia too strong for some changes.
—Mark Hay, Popular Science, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inertia
Joseph De Weck, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
Over that first act, however, the film also resists much narrative or thematic momentum, unfolding in glimpses and vignettes meant to underscore inertia and to emphasize production design.
—Ben Croll, IndieWire, 13 Feb. 2026
Ships have real inertia and Newtonian physics, and pilots can choose to toggle flight assistance on to help stabilize their often unpredictable craft, or off to perform mind-bending maneuvers that can be the edge between life and death in high-skill player versus player shootouts.
—Alan Bradley, Space.com, 31 Jan. 2026
Bruening believes the market for specific skate types is just too small, the cost of development and rollout too high, and the cultural inertia too strong for some changes.
—Mark Hay, Popular Science, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inertia
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inertia
Noun
-
The intentionality of the misinformation—or the absence of information—coupled with the laziness of the execution ties a perfect knot of contempt.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Pearce accused her of laziness.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Spending healthy years in idleness isn’t good for you.—
Editorial Board,
Washington Post,
14 Feb. 2026
-
DeJean, who recorded the game-changing pick-six in Super Bowl LIX, couldn’t comprehend postseason idleness.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Inertia.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inertia. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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