Synonyms of inertia

inertia

noun

i-ˈnər-shə 

as in laziness

an inclination not to do work or engage in activities

the inertia that grips so many of the club's members is the reason why nothing ever gets done

Synonyms & Similar Words

• laziness
• idleness
• indolence
• sloth
• shiftlessness
• loafing
• lethargy
• apathy
• sluggishness
• lassitude
• supineness
• languor
• lounging
• listlessness
• lolling
• dallying
• goldbricking

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• industry
• drive
• initiative
• industriousness
• ambition
• enterprise
• hustle
• energy
• perseverance
• diligence
• go
• vigor
• vitality
• exuberance
• assiduity
• animation
• robustness
• vivacity
• liveliness
• pep
• sprightliness
• briskness
• vibrancy
• assiduousness
• vim
• lustiness
• peppiness
• jazziness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of inertia

This sense of professional inertia can have far-reaching consequences, affecting not only your job performance but also overall well-being. —Jack Kelly, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025

This recognizes that, because of the effects of inertia, considerable (unnecessary) effort must be expended by cyclists to get back up to speed after coming to a complete stop at an intersection with no traffic. —Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2025

Uberto, by contrast, finds mostly inertia — save for whenever Fiennes is onscreen, which thankfully is quite often. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024

In addition to facing political animosity and policy resistance, reforms to dial down DEI will also encounter institutional inertia. —Wenyuan Wu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Jan. 2025