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

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

The number of economically inactive young people was 613,000.

From BBC • May 29, 2026

Cells with extra DNA may stop functioning normally, become inactive, die, change into other cell types, accumulate age related damage, or contribute to diseases including cancer.

From Science Daily • May 25, 2026

Some plates are large and comparatively inactive, others small but energetic.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

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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