Standard Lemma guide

inert

adj · noun · verb · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ɪnˈɜːt/
  • UK: /ɪˈnɜːt/
  • US: /ɪnˈɝt/
  • US: /ənˈɝt/
  • US: /ɪˈnɝt/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)t
  • CMU ARPABET: IH2 N ER1 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Unable to move or act; inanimate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dormant, immovable, abeyant, at rest, cessant, dull, fallow, idle, inactive, inert, languid, latent, nonactive, passive, quiescent, silent, sedent, sedentary, slow, suspended, torpid, unactive, unbusy, unemployed, unoccupied, fixed, immobile, immotile, inanimate, lifeless, sessile, static, rigid, stationary, stuck, unmovable, unmoveable

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Sluggish or lethargic.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ponderous, slothful, bone-idle, fainéant, idle, indolent, inert, lackadaisical, lazy, lither, otiose, sluggish, swear, torpid, work-shy, crawling, slack, slow-moving, languid, languorous, draggy, tardy, creeping, dreich, gastropodous, glacial, heavy-footed, inching, labored, leaden, lead-footed, lethargic, low-speed, lumbering, plodding, pokey, slothlike, slow, slow as a snail, slow as Christmas, slow as molasses, slow as molasses in January, slowfooted, stately, steady, subglacial, sullen, tardigrade, tedious, testudineous, turtleish, turtlesque, unspeedy

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Not readily reacting with other elements or compounds.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: unreactive

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Having no therapeutic action.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A substance that does not react chemically.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: chemistry, natural-sciences, physical-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To fill with an inert gas to reduce the risk of explosion.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective satellite

Meaning 7

slow and apathetic

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • she was fat and inert
  • a sluggish worker
  • a mind grown torpid in old age

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sluggish, soggy, torpid

Antonyms: none provided

8

adjective satellite

Meaning 8

unable to move or resist motion

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

adjective satellite

Meaning 9

having only a limited ability to react chemically; chemically inactive

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • inert matter
  • an indifferent chemical in a reaction

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: indifferent, neutral

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From French inerte, from Latin iners (“inactive, inert”).

Across languages

Translations

48 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: инертен (inerten) — unable to move or act
  • Catalan: inert — unable to move or act
  • Danish: træg — unable to move or act
  • Esperanto: senmova — unable to move or act
  • Finnish: liikuntakyvytön — unable to move or act
  • German: träge — unable to move or act
  • Hindi: निष्क्रिय (niṣkriya) — unable to move or act
  • Italian: inerte — unable to move or act
  • Polish: bezwładny — unable to move or act
  • Portuguese: inerte — unable to move or act
  • Slovak: nehybný — unable to move or act
  • Spanish: inerte — unable to move or act
  • Tagalog: matigal — unable to move or act
  • Thai: นิ่ง (nîng) — unable to move or act
  • Bulgarian: муден (muden) — sluggish or lethargic
  • Bulgarian: вял (vjal) — sluggish or lethargic
  • Catalan: inert — sluggish or lethargic
  • Danish: træg — sluggish or lethargic
  • Finnish: veltto — sluggish or lethargic
  • German: träge — sluggish or lethargic
  • Hindi: निष्क्रिय (niṣkriya) — sluggish or lethargic
  • Hindi: शिथिल (śithil) — sluggish or lethargic
  • Italian: inerte — sluggish or lethargic
  • Latin: iners — sluggish or lethargic
  • Māori: pateko — sluggish or lethargic
  • Polish: bezwładny — sluggish or lethargic
  • Spanish: inerte — sluggish or lethargic
  • Thai: เฉื่อย (chʉ̀ai) — sluggish or lethargic
  • Turkish: uyuz — sluggish or lethargic
  • Arabic: خَامِل (ḵāmil) — in chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
  • Armenian: իներտ (inert) — in chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
  • Bulgarian: инертен (inerten) — in chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
  • Catalan: inert — in chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
  • Czech: inertní — in chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
  • Czech: netečný — in chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
  • Dutch: inert — in chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
  • Finnish: reagoimaton — in chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
  • Finnish: inertti — in chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
  • Italian: inerte — in chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
  • Malay: lengai — in chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
  • Māori: tauhohekore — in chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
  • Polish: obojętny — in chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
  • Polish: bierny — in chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
  • Slovak: inertný — in chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
  • Spanish: inerte — in chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
  • Tagalog: matigal — in chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
  • Vietnamese: trơ — in chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
  • German: inaktiv — having no therapeutic action