Adjacent Words

Inert definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

INERT', a. [L. iners; in and ars, art. The English sense is drawn not from art, but from the primary sense, strength or vigorous action.]
1. Destitute of the power of moving itself, or of active resistance to motion impressed; as, matter is inert.
2. Dull; sluggish; indisposed to move or act.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: unable to move or resist motion
2: having only a limited ability to react chemically; chemically inactive; "inert matter"; "an indifferent chemical in a reaction" [syn: inert, indifferent, neutral]
3: slow and apathetic; "she was fat and inert"; "a sluggish worker"; "a mind grown torpid in old age" [syn: inert, sluggish, soggy, torpid]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Etymology: Latin inert-, iners unskilled, idle, from in- + art-, ars skill — more at arm Date: 1647 1. lacking the power to move 2. very slow to move or act ; sluggish 3. deficient in active properties; especially lacking a usual or anticipated chemical or biological action Synonyms: see inactive • inert noun • inertly adverb • inertness noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 without inherent power of action, motion, or resistance. 2 without active chemical or other properties. 3 sluggish, slow. Phrases and idioms: inert gas = noble gas. Derivatives: inertly adv. inertness n. Etymology: L iners inert- (as IN-(1), ars ART(1))

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Inert In*ert", a. [L. iners, inertis, unskilled, idle; pref. in- + ars art: cf. F. inerte. See Art.] 1. Destitute of the power of moving itself, or of active resistance to motion; as, matter is inert. 2. Indisposed to move or act; very slow to act; sluggish; dull; inactive; indolent; lifeless. The inert and desponding party of the court. --Macaulay. It present becomes extravagant, then imbecile, and at length utterly inert. --I. Taylor. 3. Not having or manifesting active properties; not affecting other substances when brought in contact with them; powerless for an expected or desired effect. Syn: Inactive; dull; passive; indolent; sluggish; slothful; lazy; lifeless; irresolute; stupid; senseless; insensible. Usage: Inert, Inactive, Sluggish. A man may be inactive from mere want of stimulus to effort; but one who is inert has something in his constitution or his habits which operates like a weight holding him back from exertion. Sluggish is still stronger, implying some defect of temperament which directly impedes action. Inert and inactive are negative, sluggish is positive. Even the favored isles . . . Can boast but little virtue; and, inert Through plenty, lose in morals what they gain In manners -- victims of luxurious ease. --Cowper. Doomed to lose four months in inactive obscurity. --Johnson. Sluggish Idleness, the nurse of sin, Upon a slothful ass he chose to ride. --Spenser.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

1. Someone or something that is inert does not move at all. He covered the inert body with a blanket. ADJ 2. If you describe something as inert, you are criticizing it because it is not very lively or interesting. The novel itself remains oddly inert. ADJ [disapproval] 3. An inert substance is one which does not react with other substances. (TECHNICAL) ...inert gases like neon and argon. ADJ

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Inactive, lifeless, passive, motionless, dead. 2. Dull, indolent, torpid, sluggish, slothful, lazy, idle, supine, lumpish, dronish.

Moby Thesaurus

abeyant, abiotic, apathetic, asleep, azoic, benumbed, blase, bored, cataleptic, catatonic, changeless, constant, contemplative, dead, debilitated, do-nothing, dopey, dormant, droopy, drugged, dull, dumb, enervated, exanimate, flat, foul, groggy, heavy, hebetudinous, idle, immobile, immutable, impassive, impotent, in abeyance, in suspense, inactive, inanimate, inanimated, incommutable, inconvertible, indefeasible, indolent, insensate, insensible, insentient, insusceptible of change, intransmutable, invariable, irretrievable, irreversible, irrevocable, jaded, lackadaisical, laissez-aller, laissez-faire, languid, languorous, lasting, latent, lazy, leaden, lethargic, lifeless, listless, logy, lumpish, meditative, moribund, motionless, mute, neuter, neutral, noble, nonconscious, nonliving, nonreturnable, nonreversible, numb, otiose, paralytic, paralyzed, passive, permanent, phlegmatic, pooped, powerless, procrastinating, quiescent, quiet, quietist, quietistic, reverseless, sated, sedentary, senseless, slack, sleeping, sleepy, slothful, slow, sluggish, slumbering, smoldering, somnolent, soulless, stagnant, stagnating, standing, standpat, static, stationary, still, stolid, stultified, supine, suspended, tame, torpid, unalterable, unalterative, unaltered, unanimated, unaroused, unchangeable, unchanged, unchanging, unconscious, undeflectable, undeviating, unfeeling, unmodifiable, unremitting, unresponsive, unrestorable, unreturnable, unsusceptible, unvariable, unvarying, vegetable, vegetative, wan, weary, world-weary