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Synonyms

motionless

American  
[moh-shuhn-lis] / ˈmoʊ ʃən lɪs /

adjective

  1. without motion.

    a motionless statue.
    Synonyms:
    quiet, quiescent, fixed, stable, inert, unmoving, stationary, still
    Antonyms:
    active
motionless British  
/ ˈməʊʃənlɪs /

adjective

  1. not moving; absolutely still

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • motionlessly adverb
  • motionlessness noun

Etymology

Origin of motionless

First recorded in 1590–1600; motion + -less

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But here in Southern California, something more is in the air: a dense, motionless tsunami of something foul and inexplicable.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

The 33-year-old Canadian tumbled during her second run, losing her skis and poles and lying motionless on the snow.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

The boy's mother said she saw her son motionless on the floor and her heart sank.

From BBC • Dec. 16, 2025

These motionless atoms have a major effect on how a liquid turns into a solid, including the creation of an unusual state of matter known as a corralled supercooled liquid.

From Science Daily • Dec. 11, 2025

The tub was pink, too, and it was full of water, and Bunny, fully clad, was lying motionless at the bottom of it.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.