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.

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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 Regular exercisers tend to have lower baseline cortisol than sedentary individuals, and their post-workout spike resolves faster and more completely, according to research. — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 22 Sep. 2026 High blood sugar and insulin resistance can alter the brain before problems are noticeable, and chronic inflammation, poor sleep, and a sedentary lifestyle can also negatively affect cognitive aging. — Allison Forsyth, HEALTH, 2 Sep. 2026 Exercise helps individuals maintain lean tissue, Evans said, so in sedentary individuals, reducing protein intake could speed up muscle loss over time. — Lauren Chan, STAT, 20 Aug. 2026 Lifestyle factors associated with higher risk include sedentary habits, being overweight, smoking, heavy alcohol use, and diets low in fiber and high in fat or processed meats. — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sedentary

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sedentary

Adjective

All is peaceful under the long, lazy loggia laden with vibrant fuschia bougainvillaea – the Passeggiata dei Monaci – and in the neat orchards low-hanging with fat, bobbly Amalfi lemons.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
With the White Sox clinging to a one-run lead, Anthony Kay erased Yordan Alvarez on a lineout and got Jose Altuve to hit a lazy fly ball, ending the threat.

— Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of lazy

Adjective

Illustration by Patricia Bolaños In sleepy South Slope, a local son in search of a beer bar walked past a familiar, long-shuttered laundromat.

— Sheldon Pearce, New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2026
Carlotta and Dedo have to do everything in their power to prove her innocence and avoid losing her again, with their investigation taking them to the heart of their sleepy suburban town, Sundersheim.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of sleepy

Adjective

This included buckling, static load, modal, and seismic analyses.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026
Using sine wave generators and pink lighting so saturated it essentially blots out all other color and shadow, Young and Zazeela created a space that’s somehow both static and full of life.

— Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of static

Adjective

Saving the best for last, Reiter was certainly a bright spot on an otherwise dull episode.

— Glenn Garner, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2026
These gadgets work wonders for at-home maintenance between in-office treatments, or on their own as a pick-me-up—targeting everything from stubborn hair to dull skin.

— Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of dull

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

There’s no explosive element to the Giants’ running game, which doesn’t figure to change with this group of backs and the immobile Winston at quarterback.

— Doug Haller, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Verity is immobile and catatonic, and Lowen learns that the family’s life is also darkened by a child’s accidental death.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of immobile

Adjective

Kagan’s discovery ultimately allowed for the generation of safer and more effective single-handed molecules by the pharmaceutical industry; previously, drugs with the incorrect mirror image were either very toxic or simply inactive.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Oct. 2026
Johnson was unexpectedly listed as inactive for the Eagles' home game Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.

— ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of inactive

Browse Nearby Words

sedatives

sedentary

sediment

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

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Synonyms of sedentary

adjective

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