inertia

[in-ur-shuh, ih-nur-] / ɪnˈɜr ʃə, ɪˈnɜr- /

NOUN

disinclination to move; lifelessness

Synonyms

STRONGEST

apathy laziness paralysis passivity sluggishness

STRONG

deadness drowsiness dullness idleness immobility immobilization inactivity indolence languor lassitude lethargy listlessness oscitancy sloth stillness stupor torpidity torpor unresponsiveness

Antonyms

STRONG

action busyness liveliness

WEAK

activity animation life moving

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.

The major human spaceflight programs are supertankers, with tremendous inertia.

From Slate • Mar. 13, 2026

At everyday scales, motion is shaped by forces such as gravity and inertia, which depend on an object's volume.

From Science Daily • Jan. 6, 2026

But he was sympathetic to the crowd’s inertia: “The stillness isn’t apathy,” Skybetter added.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 31, 2025

McKinnon didn’t stay at his job out of inertia.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 22, 2025

In the place from which I escaped there was always an atmosphere of pomade, spice, excess and inertia.

From "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse