Meaning & use
inactive
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivenot comparable
Not taking part in physical movement, exercise, or a chosen pursuit at present.
Grammar: Usually goes before a noun or after be/seem: an inactive patient; she has been inactive.
Patterns
- inactive lifestyle
- be inactive for a period
- remain inactive
After the injury, he was inactive for six weeks.
Many inactive teens spend long hours on screens.
adjectivenot comparable
Not working, running, or being used at the moment.
Grammar: Can describe machines, accounts, files, or systems; often followed by since/for with time.
Patterns
- inactive account
- inactive window
- inactive for months
The bank froze the inactive account after two years.
This phone line has been inactive since March.
adjectivenot comparabletechnical
Of a volcano, not erupting now but capable of activity again.
Grammar: Technical use in geology; do not use it to mean extinct unless an expert says it is finished.
Patterns
- inactive volcano
- inactive crater
- be classified as inactive
The town was built near an inactive volcano.
Geologists monitor inactive volcanoes for warning signs.
Common combinations
- physically inactive
- A physically inactive routine can affect sleep and mood.
- inactive account
- She closed the inactive account to avoid monthly fees.
- inactive ingredient
- The label lists an inactive ingredient used to bind the tablet.
- remain inactive
- The sensor will remain inactive until it detects motion.
Synonyms and how they differ
- idle
- Idle often suggests not being used at the time, especially machines or workers, while inactive stresses no current operation or participation.
- dormant
- Dormant implies a temporary sleeping state before possible activity again; inactive is broader and less vivid.
- sedentary
- Sedentary is narrower, used for jobs or lifestyles with little movement, not for accounts or machines.
Opposites
Word family
- inactivity noun
- The state of not being active.
- inactivate verb
- To make something stop working or being effective.
- inactivation noun
- The process of making something inactive.
Commonly confused: inactive or ineffective?
inactive vs ineffective
Inactive means not operating or not taking part; ineffective means operating but failing to achieve the goal.
Practice
Choose the best sentence.
Choose one answer.
Inactive fits because the machine is not running; option 1 gives a clear reason. Options 2 and 3 wrongly connect inactivity with success, and option 4 uses extinct, which suits volcanoes or species, not a switchable machine.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “inactive”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.