inactive

[in-ak-tiv] / ɪnˈæk tɪv /

ADJECTIVE

not engaged in action; inert, lazy

Synonyms

STRONGEST

dormant dull idle immobile inoperative jobless passive sedentary sluggish static unemployed unused

WEAK

abeyant asleep blah dead disengaged do-nothing down draggy in holding pattern indolent latent lax lethargic limp low-key mothballed motionless on hold ossified out of action out of commission out of service out of work quiescent quiet slack sleepy slothful slow somnolent stable still torpid unoccupied

Antonyms

STRONGEST

active employed energetic lively mobile moving used

WEAK

busy involved working

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“We have these inactive lines still available because there is a reasonable chance we’re going to use them in the future,” Shinjini Menon, Edison’s senior vice president of system planning and engineering, said then.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

Amyloid beta places additional stress on nerve cells, which leads to the formation of even more inactive GRK2.

From Science Daily • Jun. 8, 2026

The team also found that inactive GRK2 appears to increase the production of amyloid beta, a protein fragment widely associated with Alzheimer's disease.

From Science Daily • Jun. 8, 2026

According to the most recent data from the Office for National Statistics, around one in three people aged 16 to 64 are "economically inactive" - unemployed and not currently seeking work - in several communities.

From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026

Executive Committee believed that the Indian Congress had become inactive of late.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Vocabulary lists containing inactive

Physical Education - Introductory

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Just Do It: Act

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Physical Education - Middle School and High School

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