inanimate

American  

[in-an-uh-mit] / ɪnˈæn ə mɪt /

adjective

1. not animate; lifeless.

   Synonyms:

   dead, inert, mineral, vegetable, inorganic

2. spiritless; sluggish; dull.

   Synonyms:

   torpid, dormant, inactive

3. Linguistics. belonging to a syntactic category or having a semantic feature that is characteristic of words denoting objects, concepts, and beings regarded as lacking perception and volition (animate ).

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inanimate British  

/ ɪnˌænɪˈmeɪʃən, ɪnˈænɪmɪt /

adjective

1. lacking the qualities or features of living beings; not animate

   inanimate objects

2. lacking any sign of life or consciousness; appearing dead

3. lacking vitality; spiritless; dull

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Other Word Forms

• inanimately adverb
• inanimateness noun
• inanimation noun

Etymology

Origin of inanimate

From the Late Latin word inanimātus, dating back to 1555–65. See in- ³, animate

Explanation

Inanimate describes a non-living thing. Chairs, baseballs, sofa cushions and sadly, snowmen, are all inanimate objects. We can break inanimate down into two Latin roots: in, which means “not,” and animatus, which translates to “alive.” So inanimate means simply, "not alive." That include things that are recently dead, things that were never alive to begin with, and things that simply look dead: A bear in hibernation may appear inanimate due to its decreased heart rate, but don’t be fooled — it’s very much alive.

Example Sentences

Rice cakes join a long list of inanimate objects that time-poor young Chinese have jokingly adopted for low-maintenance companionship in recent years, ranging from mango pits, to rocks, to cardboard dogs.

From Barron's • Feb. 5, 2026

Stella's Gingerbread house plushie is an "Amuseable", a line of toys with tiny faces modelled on inanimate objects from toilet rolls to boiled eggs.

From BBC • Jan. 3, 2026

He amassed around 3,000 inanimate objects, which he started collecting after his father’s death.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 24, 2025

Driven or driverless, the car is the most animated of inanimate objects, sometimes literally a cartoon, with a voice, a personality, a name.

From Los Angeles Times • May 16, 2025

I thought he should continue to act, in public, as if I were a large vase or a window: part of the background, inanimate or transparent.

From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood