Synonyms for inactive
ɪnˈæk tɪvin·ac·tive

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. inactive

   Idle in all uses rests upon its root meaning, as derived from the Anglo-Saxon idel, which signifies vain, empty, useless. Idle thus denotes not primarily the absence of action, but vain action — the absence of useful, effective action; the idle schoolboy may be very actively whittling his desk or tormenting his neighbors. Doing nothing whatever is the secondary meaning of idle. One may be temporarily idle of necessity; if he is habitually idle, it is his own fault. Lazy signifies indisposed to exertion, averse to labor; idleness is in fact; laziness is in disposition or inclination. A lazy person may chance to be employed in useful work, but he acts without energy or impetus. We speak figuratively of a lazy stream. The inert person seems like dead matter (characterized by inertia), powerless to move; the sluggish moves heavily and toilsomely; the most active person may sometimes find the bodily or mental powers sluggish. Slothful belongs in the moral realm, denoting a self-indulgent aversion to exertion. "The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth," Prov. xxvi, 15. Indolent is a milder term for the same quality; the slothful man hates action; the indolent man loves inaction. Compare VAIN.

   Synonyms:
   idle, indolent, inert, lazy, slothful, sluggish, trifling, unemployed, unoccupied, vacant

   Antonyms:
   active, busy, diligent, employed, industrious, occupied, working

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. inactive

   Synonyms:
   idle, lazy, inert, indolent, sluggish, slothful

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:3.7 / 3 votes

1. inactiveadjective

   (chemistry) not participating in a chemical reaction; chemically inert

   "desired amounts of inactive chlorine"

   Synonyms:
   static, dormant, motionless, still, nonoperational, passive

   Antonyms:
   reactive, open, gymnastic, progressive, nimble, active, going(a), astir(p), overactive, quick, bustling, sporty, spry, busy, hot, hyperactive, surface-active, agile, springy, counteractive, about(p), brisk, moving, acrobatic, activated, on the go(p), athletic

2. inactiveadjective

   (pathology) not progressing or increasing; or progressing slowly

   Synonyms:
   static, dormant, motionless, still, nonoperational, passive

   Antonyms:
   springy, moving, nimble, gymnastic, agile, on the go(p), busy, athletic, active, astir(p), acrobatic, open, surface-active, progressive, counteractive, about(p), hyperactive, spry, brisk, sporty, bustling, overactive, hot, activated, reactive, going(a), quick

3. nonoperational, inactiveadjective

   (military) not involved in military operations

   Synonyms:
   static, dormant, motionless, still, nonoperational, passive

   Antonyms:
   going(a), moving, nimble, reactive, busy, activated, active, gymnastic, springy, counteractive, sporty, athletic, open, about(p), hot, on the go(p), spry, overactive, hyperactive, astir(p), bustling, progressive, acrobatic, surface-active, agile, brisk, quick

4. inactiveadjective

   not exerting influence or change

   Synonyms:
   static, dormant, motionless, still, nonoperational, passive

   Antonyms:
   brisk, bustling, busy, moving, acrobatic, active, sporty, hot, on the go(p), progressive, going(a), gymnastic, counteractive, nimble, astir(p), hyperactive, agile, springy, spry, reactive, open, overactive, surface-active, about(p), quick, activated, athletic

5. dormant, inactiveadjective

   (of e.g. volcanos) not erupting and not extinct

   "a dormant volcano"

   Synonyms:
   passive, sleeping, dormant(ip), dormant, abeyant, still, hibernating(a), nonoperational, static, motionless, torpid

   Antonyms:
   active, activated, progressive, open, brisk, about(p), going(a), surface-active, springy, counteractive, hyperactive, athletic, sporty, quick, spry, overactive, on the go(p), moving, nimble, gymnastic, reactive, acrobatic, astir(p), bustling, hot, agile, busy

6. passive, inactiveadjective

   lacking in energy or will

   "Much benevolence of the passive order may be traced to a disinclination to inflict pain upon oneself"- George Meredith

   Synonyms:
   passive, dormant, still, peaceful, nonoperational, static, motionless

   Antonyms:
   progressive, open, agile, athletic, springy, bustling, activated, astir(p), hyperactive, active, nimble, overactive, about(p), busy, quick, gymnastic, counteractive, sporty, hot, surface-active, brisk, spry, acrobatic, moving, on the go(p), reactive, going(a)

7. inactiveadjective

   lacking activity; lying idle or unused

   "an inactive mine"; "inactive accounts"; "inactive machinery"

   Synonyms:
   static, dormant, motionless, still, nonoperational, passive

   Antonyms:
   hyperactive, active, athletic, busy, about(p), activated, astir(p), hot, overactive, bustling, on the go(p), moving, going(a), quick, counteractive, gymnastic, springy, surface-active, reactive, nimble, spry, acrobatic, open, progressive, agile, sporty, brisk

8. inactiveadjective

   not engaged in full-time work

   "inactive reserve"; "an inactive member"

   Synonyms:
   static, dormant, motionless, still, nonoperational, passive

   Antonyms:
   nimble, on the go(p), progressive, hot, about(p), activated, moving, surface-active, hyperactive, active, counteractive, astir(p), open, reactive, busy, bustling, acrobatic, quick, going(a), gymnastic, springy, spry, overactive, agile, brisk, athletic, sporty

9. inactiveadjective

   not active physically or mentally

   "illness forced him to live an inactive life"; "dreamy and inactive by nature"

   Synonyms:
   static, dormant, motionless, still, nonoperational, passive

   Antonyms:
   active, acrobatic, surface-active, about(p), springy, athletic, nimble, activated, moving, spry, open, sporty, reactive, bustling, going(a), on the go(p), gymnastic, counteractive, hyperactive, overactive, busy, astir(p), progressive, quick, hot, brisk, agile

10. inactive, motionless, static, stilladjective

    not in physical motion

    "the inertia of an object at rest"

    Synonyms:
    static, smooth, motionless, placid, electrostatic, tranquil, soundless, unruffled, still, quiet, unchanging, silent, noneffervescent, nonoperational, passive, stable, dormant

    Antonyms:
    hyperactive, going(a), springy, overactive, surface-active, gymnastic, on the go(p), active, counteractive, athletic, quick, spry, open, busy, agile, astir(p), activated, about(p), acrobatic, nimble, hot, progressive, sporty, bustling, reactive, brisk, moving

Matched Categories

1. • Chemistry
   • Military
   • Pathology

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. inactiveadjective

   Synonyms:
   inert, lazy, indolent, idle, slothful, supine, torpid, sluggish, dronish, lumpish, passive, fabian

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:4.0 / 1 vote

1. inactiveadjective

   Synonyms:
   inert, motionless, quiescent, dormant, inoperative, sluggish, stagnant, dilatory, latent, passive, torpid

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "inactive":

   idle, dormant, nonresponsive, inactivity, non-active, down, passive, unreactive, standby, sedentary, non-working, idly, inactivated

How to pronounce inactive?

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How to use inactive in a sentence?

1. Ambassador Alaina Teplitz:

   We certainly have reason to believe that the active attack group has not been fully rendered inactive.

2. Dale Shepard:

   What that means is if you have a job where you sit all day long, we’re finding that even if you exercise for an hour or so afterward, you still have risk, so really, you have to think about both things - being active but not being inactive.

3. Benjamin Forrest:

   Even before the universe was 2 billion years old, XMM-2599 had already formed a mass of more than 300 billion suns, making it an ultramassive galaxy, more remarkably, we show that XMM-2599 formed most of its stars in a huge frenzy when the universe was less than 1 billion years old, and then became inactive by the time the universe was only 1.8 billion years old.

4. Katie Harbath:

   The ad you wrote us about is currently inactive on our platform and is not running. Should it become active it would then be sent to third party fact checkers where they would have the option to review it.

5. George Choy:

   There just isn't enough evidence to support the claim yet in this case, i don't think that has been proven yet. There are some nearby wells that have been inactive for a while. The connection has not been established, but we cannot rule them out. ... We cannot make a correlation with any wells without knowing their history.