immobile

1 of 2

adjective

im·​mo·​bile (ˌ)i(m)-ˈmō-bəl How to pronounce immobile (audio)
-ˌbī(-ə)l
also -ˌbēl
Synonyms of immobilenext
1
: not moving : motionless
keep the patient immobile
2
: incapable of moving or being moved
was left immobile by the tranquilizer
immobility
ˌi-(ˌ)mō-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce immobile (audio)
noun

immobility

2 of 2

noun

im·​mobility ¦i(m)+ How to pronounce immobility (audio)
: the quality or state of being immobile : fixedness
broadly : motionlessness

Synonyms of immobile

Relevance

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of immobile in a Sentence

Adjective The tranquilizer made the animal immobile. The accident left her immobile.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
As Ten’s lovelorn prison pen pal Lillian, an immobile shut-in, Peggy Fields Richardson initially appears to be a punchline, but goes on to deliver a nuanced turn as a woman who’s long awaited her chance at romance. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026 Clots can also be caused by inactivity, such as sitting on a long flight or being immobile after surgery. — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026 There’s no explosive element to the Giants’ running game, which doesn’t figure to change with this group of backs and the immobile Winston at quarterback. — Doug Haller, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026 Verity is immobile and catatonic, and Lowen learns that the family’s life is also darkened by a child’s accidental death. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for immobile

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English in-mobill, from Latin immobilis, from in- + mobilis mobile

Noun

Middle French immobilité, from Late Latin immobilitat-, immobilitas, from Latin immobilis + -itat-, -itas -ity

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of immobile was in the 14th century

Rhymes for immobile

See All Rhymes for immobile

Browse Nearby Words

immixture
immobile
immobilism
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Immobile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/immobile. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

immobile

adjective
im·​mo·​bile (ˈ)im-ˈ(m)ō-bəl How to pronounce immobile (audio)
-ˌbēl, 
-ˌbīl
: unable to move or be moved
immobility
ˌim-(ˌ)ō-ˈbil-ət-ē How to pronounce immobile (audio)
noun

Medical Definition

immobile

adjective
im·​mo·​bile (ˈ)im-ˈ(m)ō-bəl How to pronounce immobile (audio) -ˌbēl How to pronounce immobile (audio) -ˌbīl How to pronounce immobile (audio)
1
: incapable of being moved
2
: not moving
keep the patient immobile
immobility
ˌim-(ˌ)ō-ˈbil-ət-ē How to pronounce immobile (audio)
noun
plural immobilities
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All