motionless

adjective

Definition of motionlessnext
as in static
not moving The deer stood there absolutely motionless, listening attentively.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 motionless Gibson immediately went down and laid motionless for a few moments as personnel from both teams rushed to him. — ABC News, 7 Nov. 2026 This is far too much literalism — not to mention the dash of inconsistency added by the motionless curtains paired with the storm FX — for such an innately wonky drama to handle without going stiff and dull in the process. — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2026 For the finale, the models surrounded the central installation, standing motionless as the soundtrack shifted into a chorus of vocals. — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2026 Jack landed face-first on the turf at Ford Field and remained motionless for several moments. — Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 3 Nov. 2026 De Miguel lay motionless as players from both teams desperately signaled for medical assistance. — Reuters, NBC news, 3 Nov. 2026 Campbell immediately collapsed and lay motionless, his arms dropping to his side. — Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2026 The Griffith Park merry-go-round, which turned 100 this year, stands motionless, many of its 66 wooden horses weathered and caught mid-ascent. — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026 In 1969, neurologist Oliver Sacks gave L-DOPA to patients who had spent decades nearly motionless after the encephalitis epidemic of the early 20th century. — Mallory Green, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motionless
  1. static
  2. frozen
  3. still
  4. wooden
  5. blank
Adjective
  • And demographers wonder why the state’s population remains static.
    — Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Airlines have largely gotten rid of static mileage redemption charts in favor of dynamic pricing, making budgeting for an award ticket more difficult.
    — Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of static
Adjective
  • Bump’s work is consistently interesting (his last book was 2023’s The New Naturals), and this one, a meditation on parental inheritance set in a frozen world, feels especially engaging.
    — Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2026
  • Two shaggy ebony draft horses pulled a vintage sleigh along a powdery path that hugged the shores of frozen Lake Louise.
    — Jen Murphy, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of frozen
Adjective
  • Flanking the still images, filmic shorts amplify the whimsical spirit of the campaign, blending real-life action with illustrated animation in spotlighting the brand’s accessories offering for the season.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Patel said the family's Ring camera captured only a still image of the suspects.
    — Adi Guajardo, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of still
Adjective
  • Pale olive-green lattice doors led to the bathroom, which had a stand-alone bathtub with a wooden reading caddy, a Toto toilet, and Dusit’s own bath amenities by Devarana.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Beneath Rocks and Bricks Slugs, snails, and various insects will sometimes also use rocks, bricks, garden bed edging, wooden boards, and other hard surfaces for shelter until spring.
    — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of wooden
Adjective
  • Voters at Brandywine Elementary School waited in line Tuesday morning until a truck brought more ballots, and one voter says some ballot pages were blank.
    — Ida Domingo, Baltimore Sun, 3 Nov. 2026
  • For those who would like to print out a blank bracket ahead of the bracket announcement, AJC Varsity has provided an open option for readers that can be downloaded here.
    — Caitlyn Stroh-Page, AJC.com, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of blank

Browse Nearby Words

motioning
motionless
motionlessly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Motionless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motionless. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All