Meanings
comparative more inert · superlative most inert
- Unable to move or act; inanimate.
"As for the other forms of magic, previous systems of magic are now accessible if one knows how to do so, though no human alive should know how. This does mean some magical objects and wands rendered inert by previous changes will work again."
2018 February 21, Dan Shive, El Goonish Shive (webcomic), Comic for Wednesday, Feb 21, 2018Synonyms: dormant, immovable, abeyant, at rest, cessant, dormant, dull, fallow
- Having no therapeutic action.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveUnable to move or act; inanimate.
adjectiveSluggish or lethargic.
adjectiveNot readily reacting with other elements or compounds.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivehaving only a limited ability to react chemically; chemically inactive
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latininers“inactive, inert”
- Frenchinerte
- Englishinert
From French inerte, from Latin iners (“inactive, inert”).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic خَامِل
- خَامِل (ḵāmil)in chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
Bulgarian инертен, муден
- инертен (inerten)unable to move or act
- муден (muden)sluggish or lethargic
- вял (vjal)sluggish or lethargic
- инертен (inerten)in chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
Catalan inert, inert
- inertunable to move or act
- inertsluggish or lethargic
- inertin chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
Czech inertní, netečný
- inertníin chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
- netečnýin chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
Danish træg, træg
- trægunable to move or act
- trægsluggish or lethargic
Dutch inert
- inertin chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
Esperanto senmova
- senmovaunable to move or act
Finnish liikuntakyvytön, veltto
- liikuntakyvytönunable to move or act
- velttosluggish or lethargic
- reagoimatonin chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
- inerttiin chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
German träge, träge
- trägeunable to move or act
- trägesluggish or lethargic
- inaktivhaving no therapeutic action
Hindi निष्क्रिय, निष्क्रिय
- निष्क्रिय (niṣkriya)unable to move or act
- निष्क्रिय (niṣkriya)sluggish or lethargic
- शिथिल (śithil)sluggish or lethargic
Italian inerte, inerte
- inerteunable to move or act
- inertesluggish or lethargic
- inertein chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
Latin iners
- inerssluggish or lethargic
Malay lengai
- lengaiin chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
Māori pateko, tauhohekore
- patekosluggish or lethargic
- tauhohekorein chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
Polish bezwładny, bezwładny
- bezwładnyunable to move or act
- bezwładnysluggish or lethargic
- obojętnyin chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
- biernyin chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
Portuguese inerte
- inerteunable to move or act
Slovak nehybný, inertný
- nehybnýunable to move or act
- inertnýin chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
Spanish inerte, inerte
- inerteunable to move or act
- inertesluggish or lethargic
- inertein chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
Tagalog matigal, matigal
- matigalunable to move or act
- matigalin chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
Thai นิ่ง, เฉื่อย
- นิ่ง (nîng)unable to move or act
- เฉื่อย (chʉ̀ai)sluggish or lethargic
Turkish uyuz
- uyuzsluggish or lethargic
Vietnamese trơ
- trơin chemistry, not readily reacting with other elements or compounds
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with inert
Anagrams
Cite this entry
inert. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inert
“inert.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inert. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “inert,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inert.
Source: inert on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.