inertness

noun

Definition of inertnessnext
as in inertia
lack of action or activity the noticeable inertness of the campus on weekends, when most of the students go home

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 inertness So a material known for its inertness suddenly shows its true colors and starts to react and act as a catalyst. — Chris Lee, ArsTechnica, 9 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inertness
  1. inertia
  2. inaction
Noun
  • As for whether the report helps prompt change or becomes yet another weighty academic doorstop, that remains to be seen at City Hall, where entrenched political power often combines with bureaucratic inertia to stifle innovation.
    — A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The researchers also focused on reducing the robot’s effective inertia, a property that describes how strongly an object resists changes in its motion.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of inertia
Noun
  • Muñiz helped defend the office’s inaction — even though New York’s attorney general acted on similar complaints in that state and netted a $25 million settlement for victims there.
    — Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026
  • In some, the lawyer’s inaction had caused the clients to lose their appeal rights.
    — Samantha Melamed, ProPublica, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of inaction

Browse Nearby Words

inertia
inertness
inescapable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Inertness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inertness. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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