Synonyms for inertia
Most common
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Inertness — in a person, unwillingness to take action
inertness, laziness, sluggishness, sloth, idleness, sleuth, slothfulness, indolence
2. Inactivity
Other
Definitions
- n. 1
In a person, unwillingness to take action.
- n. 2
The property of a body that resists any change to its uniform motion; equivalent to its mass.
Related words
- Word family
- inert inertness
- Phrases
- centre of inertia
Forms
- Plural
- inertiae → inertnesses, lazinesses, sluggishnesses, sloths…
Example sentences
- laziness Were it not for laziness, he might have been rich.
- sloth Sloth or laziness is one of the seven deadly sins.
- inaction Here comes inaction and we don't know how to stop it.
- inactivity I rarely have moments of inactivity.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| inertia | falling | |
| laziness | rising | |
| sloth | rising | |
| sluggishness | falling | |
| inertness | falling | |
| inaction | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 5 letters
- sloth1
- 6 letters
- sleuth1
- 8 letters
- laziness3, inaction3, idleness3
- 9 letters
- stillness2, indolence, lassitude, inertness3
- 10 letters
- inactivity5
- 12 letters
- sluggishness3, slothfulness, inactiveness
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (laziness3 = 3 syllables).