1. Habitually or naturally inactive; indisposed or unable to act; hence, sluggish, slothful: a. Of persons (or animals).
1591. G. Fletcher, Russe Commw. (Hakl. Soc.), 146. For the most part, they are unweldy and unactive withall.
1657. Austen, Fruit Trees, II. 177. It is an intolerable shame to some professors especially, to see them so lukewarme and unactive in the waies of God.
1696. Stanhope, Chr. Pattern (1711), 126. When advancement to Heaven … is offered, they are slothful and unactive.
1726. Gibson, Dieting Horses, 14. Flanders Horses … are thereby render’d the more heavy and unactive.
1741. Compl. Fam.-Piece, II. ii. 346. Chub … are a strong unactive Fish.
absol. 1708. Diss. Drunkenness, 12. It [Gin] charms the Unactive, the Desperate and Crafty of either Sex.
b. Of material things.
1638. Quarles, Hieroglyph., ii. (1669), 27. Nor hath unactive matter pow’r to soil Her pure and active form, as Jars corrupt their Oyl.
1694. Salmon, Bate’s Dispens. (1713), 528/2. The Points of the Acid of the Tartar … are too unactive, gross or blunt to insinuate themselves into the Pores of this Salt.
1704. Norris, Ideal World, II. iii. 253. What a dead unactive thing matter is.
1729. Butler, Serm. Hum. Nat., i. Wks. 1874, II. 387. The meie material body…, without the mind being a dead unactive thing.
c. Of mind or disposition.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., V. § 340. The drowsy and unactive Genius of the Kingdom. Ibid., VI. § 182. The faculties and understandings of the lay councillors [grew] more dull, lazy, and unactive.
1704. J. Trapp, Abra-Mulé, II. i. 544. Melancholy Blood retards the Springs Of his unactive Soul.
1724. R. Fiddes, Morality, Pref. p. xxxviii. Disquisitions of this kind are an argument of an unactive wit.
1746. Brit. Mag., 98. The Ignorance, or unactive inexperimenting Spirit of our Manufacturers.
d. Of immaterial things.
1649. Jer. Taylor, Gt. Exemp., Ep. Ded. 1. The calentures of men breathe out in problemes and unactive discourses.
1686. W. De Britaine, Hum. Prudence, xvi. 74. He … may escape many dangers by his wary Conduct, but will fail of as many Successes by his unactive Fearfulness.
c. 1705. Bp. Berkeley, in Fraser, Life (1871), 445. Uneasiness, &c. are ideas, therefore unactive, therefore can do nothing.
1761. Hume, Hist. Eng., III. xlviii. 45. His unactive virtue, the more it was extolled, the greater disregard was it exposed to.
2. Not active at a particular time; remaining quiescent or idle.
1599. Daniel, Musoph. (1602), c iij b. That these more curious times, they might diuorce From the opinion … Of our disable and vnactiue force.
1643. Wither, Campo Musæ, 2. When I shall be dead, And lie unactive in a loanly roome.
1670. Cotton, Espernon, I. III. 107. Neither was he in his retirement … either unactive in himself, or in a Scene improper for his Majesties Service.
1715. Pope, Iliad, IV. 425. Can’st thou, remote, the mingling Hosts descry, With Hands unactive, and a careless Eye?
1756. Johnson, Misc. Lives, K. of Prussia, Wks. 1787, IV. 557. All the vegetative powers are kept unactive by a long continuance of drought.
1757. Burke, Abridgm. Eng. Hist., Wks. 1842, II. 516. The legates in Britain … remained unactive till it could be determined for what master they were to conquer.
3. Marked or characterized by inaction.
1621. G. Sandys, Ovid’s Met., II. (1626), 41. To Enuie’s caue her course shee bent,… Repleat with sadnesse, and vnactiue cold.
1652. Evelyn, St. France, Misc. Writ. (1805), 81. The Gentry … are universally given to solitary and unactive lives in the country.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 93, ¶ 14. For the Employment of our dead unactive Hours.
1736. Butler, Anal., V. 89. Nothing which we at present see, would lead us to the Thought of a solitary unactive State hereafter.
1777. Johnson, Lett. to Mrs. Thrale, 27 Aug. I am here in unactive obscurity.
