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INACTIVE

Pronunciation (US): 

English dictionary: Word overview

INACTIVE (adjective)
  The adjective INACTIVE has 10 senses:

1. not participating in a chemical reaction; chemically inert
2. not progressing or increasing; or progressing slowly
3. not involved in military operations
4. not exerting influence or change
5. of e.g. volcanos; not erupting and not extinct
6. lacking in energy or will
7. lacking activity; lying idle or unused
8. not engaged in full-time work
9. not active physically or mentally
10. not in physical motion

  Familiarity information: INACTIVE used as an adjective is familiar.


English dictionary: Word details


INACTIVE (adjective)


Sense 1inactive [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Not participating in a chemical reaction; chemically inert

Context example:

desired amounts of inactive chlorine

Similar:

unreactive (not reacting chemically)


Sense 2inactive [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Not progressing or increasing; or progressing slowly

Similar:

quiescent (causing no symptoms)

latent (not presently active)

indolent ((of tumors e.g) slow to heal or develop and usually painless)

flat (commercially inactive)

dead-end (lacking opportunities for development or advancement)

arrested; in remission (having development checked or reversed)

Domain category:

pathology (the branch of medical science that studies the causes and nature and effects of diseases)

Antonym:

active (tending to become more severe or wider in scope)


Sense 3inactive [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Not involved in military operations

Synonyms:

nonoperational; inactive


Sense 4inactive [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Not exerting influence or change

Similar:

quiescent (not active or activated)

Antonym:

active (exerting influence or producing a change or effect)


Sense 5inactive [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Of e.g. volcanos; not erupting and not extinct

Synonyms:

dormant; inactive

Context example:

a dormant volcano

Similar:

quiescent (being quiet or still or inactive)

Attribute:

dormancy; quiescence; quiescency (a state of quiet (but possibly temporary) inaction)


Sense 6inactive [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Lacking in energy or will

Synonyms:

passive; inactive

Context example:

Much benevolence of the passive order may be traced to a disinclination to inflict pain upon oneself

Similar:

resistless; supine; unresisting (offering no resistance)

hands-off (not involving participation or intervention)

Attribute:

passiveness; passivity (the trait of remaining inactive; a lack of initiative)


Sense 7inactive [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Lacking activity; lying idle or unused

Context examples:

an inactive mine / inactive accounts / inactive machinery

Similar:

strikebound (closed or immobilized by a strike)

idle; unused (not in active use)

dull; slow; sluggish ((of business) not active or brisk)

dead (devoid of activity)

dark (not giving performances; closed)

Antonym:

active (full of activity or engaged in continuous activity)


Sense 8inactive [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Not engaged in full-time work

Context examples:

inactive reserve / an inactive member of the department

Similar:

off (not performing or scheduled for duties)

on leave (absent with permission from work or duty)

retired (no longer active in your work or profession)

Domain category:

armed forces; armed services; military; military machine; war machine (the military forces of a nation)

Antonym:

active (engaged in full-time work)


Sense 9inactive [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Not active physically or mentally

Context examples:

illness forced him to live an inactive life / dreamy and inactive by nature

Similar:

desk-bound; deskbound (restricted to working in an office rather than in an active physical capacity)

dormant (inactive but capable of becoming active)

hypoactive; underactive (abnormally inactive)

inert; sluggish; soggy; torpid (slow and apathetic)

sedentary (requiring sitting or little activity)

Also:

lethargic; unergetic (deficient in alertness or activity)

Attribute:

activeness; activity (the trait of being active; moving or acting rapidly and energetically)

Antonym:

active (characterized by energetic activity)


Sense 10inactive [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Not in physical motion

Synonyms:

motionless; still; static; inactive

Context example:

the inertia of an object at rest

Similar:

nonmoving; unmoving (not in motion)


English Proverbs
"All cats love fish but hate to get their paws wet."
(English proverb)
"Do not be shy of whom is shameless."
(Albanian proverb)
"He fasted for a whole year and then broke his fast with an onion."
(Arabic proverb)
"If you own two houses, it's raining in one of them."
(Corsican proverb)


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