inert

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Not moving or not able to move.

   He lay inert on the sofa, too tired to get up.

2. 2
   adj

   Slow, lazy, or lacking energy.

   The summer heat left the whole town feeling inert.

3. 3
   adj

   Not reacting chemically with other substances.

   Helium is an inert gas that does not burn.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Inert entered English in the mid-17th century from Latin iners, meaning “unskilled” or “inactive.” The Latin word was formed as the opposite of ars, “skill.”

From French inerte, from Latin iners (“inactive, inert”).

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary