Not active; having no power to move; that does not or can not produce results; inert; as, matter is, of itself, inactive. [1913 Webster]
Not disposed to action or effort; not diligent or industrious; not busy; idle; as, an inactive officer. [1913 Webster]
Not exhibiting any action or activity on polarized light; optically inactive; optically neutral; -- said of isomeric forms of certain substances, in distinction from other forms which are optically active; as, racemic acid is an inactive tartaric acid. [1913 Webster]
Lacking biological or biochemical activity; not causing a specific biological or biochemical effect; -- said of substances such as enzymes which have lost their catalytic power, or of small molecules which are tested for some type of biological activity and found to lack that activity; as, after boiling for ten minutes, the enzyme was totally inactive; the methyl analog was inactive as an antibiotic. [PJC]

Syn. -- Inert; dull; sluggish; idle; indolent; slothful; lazy. See Inert.

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

inactive, adj.
1 not active or inclined to act.
2 passive.
3 indolent.

Derivative

inactively adv. inactivity n.

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THESAURUS

inactive

abeyant, apathetic, asleep, at a standstill, cataleptic, catatonic, contemplative, dead, deliberate, disengaged, do-nothing, dopey, dormant, dull, easy, flat, foul, groggy, hasteless, heavy, idle, immobile, in abeyance, in suspense, inanimate, indolent, inert, inoperative, jobless, lackadaisical, laissez-aller, laissez-faire, languid, languorous, latent, lazy, leaden, leisurely, lethargic, lifeless, listless, logy, meditative, motionless, neuter, neutral, ossified, out of work, pacific, paralytic, paralyzed, passive, peaceful, phlegmatic, placid, procrastinating, quiescent, quiet, quietist, quietistic, relaxed, resting, sedentary, serene, slack, sleeping, sleepy, slothful, slow, sluggish, slumbering, smoldering, somnolent, stagnant, stagnating, standing, standpat, static, stationary, still, supine, suspended, tame, torpid, tranquil, unactive, unaroused, unemployed, unhasty, unhurried, unmoving, unoccupied, vegetable, vegetative

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ROGET THESAURUS

inactive

Inactivity

N inactivity, inaction, inertness, obstinacy, lull, quiescence, rust, rustiness, idleness, remissness, sloth, indolence, indiligence, dawdling, ergophobia, otiosity, dullness, languor, segnity, segnitude, lentor, sluggishness, procrastination, torpor, torpidity, torpescence, stupor, somnolence, drowsiness, nodding, oscitation, oscitancy, pandiculation, hypnotism, lethargy, statuvolence heaviness, heavy eyelids, sleep, slumber, sound sleep, heavy sleep, balmy sleep, Morpheus, Somnus, coma, trance, ecstasis, dream, hibernation, nap, doze, snooze, siesta, wink of sleep, forty winks, snore, hypnology, dull work, pottering, relaxation, Castle of Indolence, lullaby, sedative, tranquilizer, hypnotic, sleeping pill, relaxant, anaesthetic, general anaesthetic, torpedo, idler, drone, droil, dawdle, mopus, do- little faineant, dummy, sleeping partner, afternoon farmer, truant, bummer, loafer, goldbrick, goldbicker, lounger, lazzarone, lubber, lubbard, slow coach (slow, ), opium eater, lotus eater, slug, lag, sluggard, slugabed, slumberer, dormouse, marmot, waiter on Providence, fruges consumere natus, inactive, motionless, unoccupied, unbusied, indolent, lazy, slothful, idle, lusk, remiss, slack, inert, torpid, sluggish, otiose, languid, supine, heavy, dull, leaden, lumpish, exanimate, soulless, listless, drony, dronish, lazy as Ludlam's dog, dilatory, laggard, lagging, slow, rusty, flagging, lackadaisical, maudlin, fiddle-faddle, pottering, shilly-shally, sleeping asleep, fast asleep, dead asleep, sound asleep, in a sound sleep, sound as a top, dormant, comatose, in the arms of Morpheus, in the lap of Morpheus, sleepy, sleepful, dozy, drowsy, somnolent, torpescent, lethargic, lethargical, somnifacient, statuvolent, statuvolic, heavy, heavy with sleep, napping, somnific, somniferous, soporous, soporific, soporiferous, hypnotic, balmy, dreamy, unawakened, unawakened, sedative, inactively, at leisure, the eyes begin to draw straws, bankrupt of life yet prodigal of ease, better 50 years of Europe than a cycle of Cathay, idly busy rolls their world away, the mystery of folded sleep, the timely dew of sleep, thou driftest gently down the tides of sleep, tired Nature's sweet restorer, balmy sleep.

Physical Inertness

N physical inertness, inertness, dullness, inertia, vis inertiae, inertion, inactivity, torpor, languor, quiescence, latency, inaction, passivity, mental inertness, sloth, inexcitability, irresolution, obstinacy, permanence, rare gas, paraffin, noble metal, unreactivity, inert, inactive, passive, torpid, sluggish, dull, heavy, flat, slack, tame, slow, blunt, unreactive, lifeless, dead, uninfluential, latent, dormant, smoldering, unexerted, inactively, in suspense, in abeyance.

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