SEDENTARY Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

sedentary

adjective

Definition of sedentary

as in lazy

not doing or involving a lot of physical activity They led a sedentary life after retirement, spending their days in front of the television.

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 sedentary Experts have long agreed that children are getting more sedentary, likely driven by access to screens and time constraints on parents. — Chelsea Cirruzzo, STAT, 2 July 2026 Experts said the strategy is a simple, sustainable way to counteract a sedentary lifestyle and support overall health. — Allison Forsyth, Health, 30 June 2026 That design means sedentary days, long flights, poor sleep, dehydration and hormonal shifts can all slow it down. — Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 29 June 2026 What Slows Lymph Flow Down A sedentary day, a long flight, poor sleep, dehydration and hormonal shifts can all reduce lymph flow in otherwise healthy people. — Allison Palmer, Sacbee.com, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for sedentary

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sedentary

Adjective

Slicking back your hair with a perfect part brings this lazy day look to the next level.

— Odeya Pinkus, InStyle, 8 July 2026
Some claimed that Buddhists, like Asians generally, were passive and lazy, and that their religious rites reflected a dull, monotonous approach to life.

— Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 7 July 2026

Definition of lazy

Adjective

As the dikes spread, the region faced earthquakes and brought back into action long dormant faults, draining the magma beneath the ridge.

— Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 9 July 2026
Energy Substantiation’s model attempts to monetize those dormant barrels while using them to back digital tokens.

— Mia Gindis, Fortune, 9 July 2026

Definition of dormant

Adjective

His long white oval scleras and perfect-circle black pupils, sometimes open and sometimes closed, are always inexplicably expressive—managing to seem happy, sad, scared, sleepy, shifty, angry, eager, alarmed, mischievous, or murderous.

— Casey Cep, New Yorker, 7 July 2026
Hualde says that some Pamplona residents rue his early promotion of the festival due to the ills of overtourism the sleepy provincial city is now experiencing.

— ABC News, ABC News, 6 July 2026

Definition of sleepy

Adjective

History is useful here, not as analogy for its own sake but as a reminder that infrastructure is never static.

— Charley Daitch, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Such a static conception of the American past flew in the face of the romantic patriotism that Obama appealed to Americans with, one rooted in a history of inevitable progress rooted in incessant struggle.

— Mark Brilliant, Mercury News, 9 July 2026

Definition of static

Adjective

That’s because when the body experiences physical stress, including losing weight quickly, more hairs can shift into a resting phase and fall out a few months later — typically two to three months after the event, Rossi explains.

— Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 17 Feb. 2026
This is a condition where, due to stress or hormonal changes, the body puts the hair follicles into a resting phase.

— Essence, Essence, 19 Dec. 2025

Definition of resting

Adjective

Prosecutors allege prolonged neglect According to charging documents cited by WNEM-TV5, prosecutors allege Casper was immobile, was not provided proper medical care or adequate nutrition, and was forced to live in unsafe conditions before his death.

— Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 27 June 2026
The question then becomes whether the immobile Goldin would stand as such an alternative.

— Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 21 June 2026

Definition of immobile

Adjective

Over the past three years, Devo have dramatically upped their touring activity after being mostly inactive between 2015 and 2023.

— Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 3 July 2026
Uvalde County also reported its first case, bringing the total number of Texas cases to 28, with 22 active and 6 inactive.

— Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 1 July 2026

Definition of inactive

Browse Nearby Words

sedatives

sedentary

sediment

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Sedentary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sedentary. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of sedentary

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on sedentary

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

fulcrum

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes