inert
Say it: ih-NURT /ɪˈnəːt/ · adjective
What “inert” means
Not readily reacting chemically with other substances.
More precisely: Chemically unreactive; or lacking the ability or will to move or act.
When to use it
In science, for substances that barely react; in descriptive everyday speech, for someone or something completely inactive.
It can also mean
It can also mean motionless or inactive, often when describing an exhausted person.
Similar words
inactive, motionless, unreactive
Where it comes from
From Latin iners, inert-, 'unskilled, inactive'.
Quick check
A gas surrounds a hot metal without reacting with it, helping protect the metal during welding. How is the gas described?
volatile or inert?
Show the answer
inert
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