Definitions

on the shelf

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broken adj.
deferred adj.
dormant adj.
on the blink adj.
unemployed adj.

ADJECTIVE

broken

Synonyms

STRONGEST

busted defective faulty ruined wrecked

STRONG

dead disabled down gone out shot spent wracked

WEAK

coming unstuck fallen apart feeble gone to pieces haywire imperfect in disrepair in need of repair in the shop inoperable inoperative kaput not functioning on the blink on the fritz out of commission out of kilter out of order out of whack run down screwed-up unsatisfactory weak

Antonyms

STRONGEST

perfect repaired

WEAK

fixed working

ADJECTIVE

deferred

Synonyms

STRONGEST

delayed negotiated postponed

STRONG

adjourned assessed charged pigeonholed prolonged protracted remanded renegotiated scrubbed stalled temporized

WEAK

held up in waiting indebted on hold staved off

Antonyms

WEAK

advanced forwarded furthered hastened hurried

ADJECTIVE

dormant

Synonyms

STRONGEST

asleep comatose inert inoperative latent passive sidelined sluggish

WEAK

abeyant closed-down down fallow hibernating lethargic lurking out of action potential prepatent quiescent slack slumbering smoldering suspended torpid

Antonyms

STRONGEST

active alert awake conscious lively

ADJECTIVE

on the blink

Synonyms

WEAK

bonkers broken busted defective disabled down fallen apart faulty gone to pieces haywire in disrepair in need of repair in the shop inoperable kaput kerflooey not functioning not working on the fritz out out of commission out of kilter out of order out of whack run down shot spent wrecked

ADJECTIVE

unemployed

Synonyms

STRONGEST

idle inactive jobless underemployed

STRONG

down free loafing

WEAK

at liberty between jobs closed-down disengaged fired laid-off leisured on layoff on the bench on the dole out of a job out of action out of work resting unapplied unengaged unexercised unoccupied unused without gainful employment workless

Antonyms

STRONGEST

active busy working

WEAK

employed occupied

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.

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on the shelf

A hole that size could make any executive lose their head, march into the store, and grab the most expensive thing on the shelf.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

Delta had only a handful of price categories on the shelf.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026

Given how fragile it was, it may simply have disintegrated on the shelf and been overlooked or thrown away.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 7, 2026

The government says it is determined that the recommendations from the Nottingham review will not "sit on the shelf."

From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026

So I tiptoed back to where I’d found the tin and put it on the shelf again.

From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk

on the shelf

Example Sentences

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