Many people lead a sedentary life, which can lead to weight gain.
Source: tatoeba (2654879)
Sedentary
/ˈsɛd.ən.tɛɹ.i/
Synonyms for "sedentary" (60 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (12)
Strong matches (18)
Related words (30)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: abeyant, apathetic, at a standstill, cataleptic, catatonic.
- Sentence evidence is available for sedentary, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, wiktionary, opengloss.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "sedentary".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "sedentary"
Keep "sedentary" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "sedentary" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "sedentary", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "sedentary" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
6 entriesbehavioral traitbiological traitecological descriptoreducational descriptorhealth factorlearning context
More specific
9 entriesdeskbound classroomindoor lecturenonmigratory animalresident speciessedentary behaviorsedentary lifestylesedentary worksitting lessonstationary organism
similar
1 entriesSample sentences
21 total sentences available.
Never has youth been exposed to such dangers of both perversion and arrest as in our own land and day. Increasing urban life with its temptations, prematurities, sedentary occupations, and passive stimuli just when an active life is most needed, early emancipation and a lessening sense for both duty and discipline, the haste to know and do all befitting man's estate before its time, the mad rush for sudden wealth and the reckless fashions set by its gilded youth--all these lack some of the regulatives they still have in older lands with more conservative conditions.
Source: tatoeba (6395955)
A pernicious excitement to learn and play chess has spread all over the country, and numerous clubs for practicing this game have been formed in cities and villages...chess is a mere amusement of a very inferior character, which robs the mind of valuable time that might be devoted to nobler acquirements, while it affords no benefit whatever to the body. Chess has acquired a high reputation as being a means to discipline the mind, but persons engaged in sedentary occupations should never practice this cheerless game; they require out-door exercises--not this sort of mental gladiatorship.
Source: tatoeba (6395974)
I need a lot more protein than a sedentary person.
Source: tatoeba (6676755)
Showing 4 of 21 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "sedentary"?
Closest matches include abeyant, apathetic, at a standstill, cataleptic, catatonic.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "sedentary"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.