Everyday · Science & thinking · Character
Inertia: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Inertia noun. The tendency of an object to stay still, or keep moving, until a force acts on it.
How to say it
ih-NUR-shuh/ɪˈnəːʃə/
3 syllables, stressed on the second (NUR).
Meanings
- The tendency of an object to stay still, or keep moving, until a force acts on it.
- A reluctance to change anything or make any effort.
Inertia in a sentence
Inertia is why your coffee sloshes forward when the bus brakes.
The plan wasn’t killed by opposition, just by sheer institutional inertia.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- inactivity
- apathy
- sluggishness
- lethargy
Opposite:
- energy
- dynamism
Where inertia comes from
From Latin iners, idle or unskilled.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
The plan wasn’t killed by opposition, just by sheer institutional _____.
- inertia
- anomaly
- psephology
Show the answer
inertia: The plan wasn’t killed by opposition, just by sheer institutional inertia.