inert

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: in=ert

CIDE DICTIONARY

inert, a. [L. iners, inertis, unskilled, idle; pref. in- + ars art: cf. F. inerte. See Art.].

•  Destitute of the power of moving itself, or of active resistance to motion; as, matter is inert.  [1913 Webster]
•  Indisposed to move or act; very slow to act; sluggish; dull; inactive; indolent; lifeless.  [1913 Webster]

  "The inert and desponding party of the court."  [1913 Webster]

  "It present becomes extravagant, then imbecile, and at length utterly inert."  [1913 Webster]
•  Not having or manifesting active properties; not affecting other substances when brought in contact with them; powerless for an expected or desired effect; as, the noble gases are chemically inert.

  "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."  [1913 Webster]

  "Doomed to lose four months in inactive obscurity."  [1913 Webster]

  "Sluggish Idleness, the nurse of sin,
  Upon a slothful ass he chose to ride."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Inactive; dull; passive; indolent; sluggish; slothful; lazy; lifeless; irresolute; stupid; senseless; insensible.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

inert, adj.
1 without inherent power of action, motion, or resistance.
2 without active chemical or other properties.
3 sluggish, slow.

Idiom

inert gas = noble gas.

Derivative

inertly adv. inertness n.

Etymology

L iners inert- (as IN-(1), ars ART(1))

THESAURUS

inert

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

ROGET THESAURUS

inert

Obstinacy

N obstinacy, obstinateness, obstinacy, tenacity, cussedness, perseverance, immovability, old school, inflexibility, obduracy, obduration, dogged resolution, resolution, ruling passion, blind side, self-will, contumacy, perversity, pervicacy, pervicacity, indocility, bigotry, intolerance, dogmatism, opiniatry, opiniativeness, fixed idea, fanaticism, zealotry, infatuation, monomania, opinionatedness opinionativeness, mule, opinionist, opinionatist, opiniator, opinator, stickler, dogmatist, bigot, zealot, enthusiast, fanatic, obstinate, tenacious, stubborn, obdurate, casehardened, inflexible, balky, immovable, unshakable, not to be moved, inert, unchangeable, inexorable, mulish, obstinate as a mule, pig-headed, dogged, sullen, sulky, unmoved, uninfluenced unaffected, willful, self-willed, perverse, resty, restive, restiff, pervicacious, wayward, refractory, unruly, heady, headstrong, entete, contumacious, crossgrained, arbitrary, dogmatic, positive, bigoted, prejudiced, creed- bound, prepossessed, infatuated, stiff-backed, stiff necked, stiff hearted, hard-mouthed, hidebound, unyielding, impervious, impracticable, inpersuasible, unpersuadable, intractable, untractable, incorrigible, deaf to advice, impervious to reason, crotchety, obstinately, non possumus, no surrender, ils n'ont rien appris ne rien oublie.

Inactivity

N inactivity, inaction, inertness, obstinacy, lull, quiescence, rust, rustiness, idleness, remissness, sloth, indolence, indiligence, dawdling, ergophobia, otiosity, dullness, languor, segnity, segnitude, lentor, sluggishness, procrastination, torpor, torpidity, torpescence, stupor, somnolence, drowsiness, nodding, oscitation, oscitancy, pandiculation, hypnotism, lethargy, statuvolence heaviness, heavy eyelids, sleep, slumber, sound sleep, heavy sleep, balmy sleep, Morpheus, Somnus, coma, trance, ecstasis, dream, hibernation, nap, doze, snooze, siesta, wink of sleep, forty winks, snore, hypnology, dull work, pottering, relaxation, Castle of Indolence, lullaby, sedative, tranquilizer, hypnotic, sleeping pill, relaxant, anaesthetic, general anaesthetic, torpedo, idler, drone, droil, dawdle, mopus, do- little faineant, dummy, sleeping partner, afternoon farmer, truant, bummer, loafer, goldbrick, goldbicker, lounger, lazzarone, lubber, lubbard, slow coach (slow, ), opium eater, lotus eater, slug, lag, sluggard, slugabed, slumberer, dormouse, marmot, waiter on Providence, fruges consumere natus, inactive, motionless, unoccupied, unbusied, indolent, lazy, slothful, idle, lusk, remiss, slack, inert, torpid, sluggish, otiose, languid, supine, heavy, dull, leaden, lumpish, exanimate, soulless, listless, drony, dronish, lazy as Ludlam's dog, dilatory, laggard, lagging, slow, rusty, flagging, lackadaisical, maudlin, fiddle-faddle, pottering, shilly-shally, sleeping asleep, fast asleep, dead asleep, sound asleep, in a sound sleep, sound as a top, dormant, comatose, in the arms of Morpheus, in the lap of Morpheus, sleepy, sleepful, dozy, drowsy, somnolent, torpescent, lethargic, lethargical, somnifacient, statuvolent, statuvolic, heavy, heavy with sleep, napping, somnific, somniferous, soporous, soporific, soporiferous, hypnotic, balmy, dreamy, unawakened, unawakened, sedative, inactively, at leisure, the eyes begin to draw straws, bankrupt of life yet prodigal of ease, better 50 years of Europe than a cycle of Cathay, idly busy rolls their world away, the mystery of folded sleep, the timely dew of sleep, thou driftest gently down the tides of sleep, tired Nature's sweet restorer, balmy sleep.

Insensibility

N insensibility, insensibleness, moral insensibility, inertness, inertia, vis inertiae, impassibility, impassibleness, inappetency, apathy, phlegm, dullness, hebetude, supineness, lukewarmness, cold fit, cold blood, cold heart, coldness, coolness, frigidity, sang froid, stoicism, imperturbation, nonchalance, unconcern, dry eyes, insouciance, recklessness, callousness, heart of stone, stock and stone, marble, deadness, torpor, torpidity, obstupefaction, lethargy, coma, trance, vegetative state, sleep, suspended animation, stupor, stupefaction, paralysis, palsy, numbness, neutrality, quietism, vegetation, insensible, unconscious, impassive, impassible, blind to, deaf to, dead to, unsusceptible, insusceptible, unimpressionable, unimpressible, passionless, spiritless, heartless, soulless, unfeeling, unmoral, apathetic, leuco-, phlegmatic, dull, frigid, cold blooded, cold hearted, cold as charity, flat, maudlin, obtuse, inert, supine, sluggish, torpid, torpedinous, torporific, sleepy, languid, half-hearted, tame, numbed, comatose, anaesthetic, stupefied, chloroformed, drugged, stoned, palsy-stricken, indifferent, lukewarm, careless, mindless, regardless, inattentive, neglectful, disregarding, unconcerned, nonchalant, pococurante, insouciant, sans souci, unambitious, unaffected, unruffled, unimpressed, uninspired, unexcited, unmoved, unstirred, untouched, unshocked, unstruck, unblushing, unanimated, vegetative, callous, thick-skinned, hard-nosed, pachydermatous, impervious, hardened, inured, casehardened, steeled against, proof against, imperturbable, unfelt, insensibly, aequo animo, without being moved, without being touched, without being impressed, in cold blood, with dry eyes, with withers unwrung, never mind, macht nichts, it is of no consequence, it cannot be helped, nothing coming amiss, it is all the same to, it is all one to.

Physical Inertness

N physical inertness, inertness, dullness, inertia, vis inertiae, inertion, inactivity, torpor, languor, quiescence, latency, inaction, passivity, mental inertness, sloth, inexcitability, irresolution, obstinacy, permanence, rare gas, paraffin, noble metal, unreactivity, inert, inactive, passive, torpid, sluggish, dull, heavy, flat, slack, tame, slow, blunt, unreactive, lifeless, dead, uninfluential, latent, dormant, smoldering, unexerted, inactively, in suspense, in abeyance.