Synonyms of inertia

inertia

noun

i-ˈnər-shə 

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• laziness
• idleness
• indolence
• sloth
• shiftlessness
• loafing
• lethargy
• apathy
• sluggishness
• lassitude
• supineness
• languor
• lounging
• listlessness
• lolling
• dallying
• goldbricking

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• industry
• drive
• initiative
• industriousness
• ambition
• enterprise
• hustle
• energy
• perseverance
• diligence
• go
• vigor
• vitality
• exuberance
• assiduity
• animation
• robustness
• vivacity
• liveliness
• pep
• sprightliness
• briskness
• vibrancy
• assiduousness
• vim
• lustiness
• peppiness
• jazziness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of inertia

One example of imprudent inertia is sitting on excessive cash instead of investing it. —Jonathan I. Shenkman, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025

When the prince brings boyfriend Dev to meet his royal family, their aristocratic inertia threatens the young love. —Jillian Steinhauer, New Yorker, 27 June 2025

The Padres had been hitting better over the past few weeks but have slunk back into offensive inertia. —Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 June 2025

History has repeatedly shown that socialism doesn’t work, as ideas that seem good in theory often turn into a mess of government bureaucracy, inefficiency, and inertia, setting society and living standards back instead of moving them forward. —Time, 26 June 2025