immobile

immobile — adjective

1. completely still, either because a person or thing stays in one place or because

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

completely still, either because a person or thing stays in one place or because they are physically unable to move.

Example

The deer stood immobile in the middle of the road, frozen by the car's headlights.

be + immobile; frozen in place by fear or surprise

After breaking his leg, Jin remained immobile on the sofa for nearly six weeks.

remain + immobile (temporary physical condition)

Common collocations
  • remain immobile
  • stand immobile
  • sit immobile
  • lie immobile
  • stay immobile
  • completely immobile
  • almost immobile
  • temporarily immobile
Synonyms
  • motionless

    more literary and visual; describes a brief, complete absence of movement

  • still

    common everyday word; can also mean quiet or calm, not just physically unmoving

  • stationary

    more technical; implies not changing position rather than total stillness

  • fixed

    suggests being deliberately attached or set in place, often permanently

Antonyms
  • mobile

    able to move freely; the most direct antonym

  • moving

    in motion at the present moment

Grammar Patterns

be + immobile

remain + immobile

immobile + noun

Usage Note

Often paired with verbs of posture or position (stand, sit, lie, remain, stay) to describe a temporary state. Can describe both living beings and inanimate objects.

Common Mistakes

The furniture was immovable in the room.
The furniture sat immobile in the room.
'immovable' means cannot be physically shifted; 'immobile' means not moving at the moment.
She felt emotionally immobile after the news.
She sat immobile in her chair after hearing the news.
'immobile' describes physical stillness, not emotional numbness.

Word family

  • immobility
    nounB2
  • immobilize
    verbB2
  • immobilization
    nounC1
  • mobile
    adjectiveA2
  • mobility
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four describe the absence of movement, but they differ in nuance and context. 'Motionless' is the closest synonym to 'immobile' and is often used for dramatic, visual descriptions — a deer standing motionless in a forest. 'Still' is more versatile and common in everyday speech; it can describe a person sitting still on a bus or a calm, quiet scene. 'Stationary' has a more technical or scientific flavour, typically used for objects or vehicles that are not changing position (a stationary car at a traffic light). 'Fixed' implies deliberate attachment or installation (a fixed shelf on the wall) and is less about temporary stillness. For describing a person or animal that is physically unable to move, 'immobile' is the most precise choice.

motionless ↗still ↗stationary ↗fixed ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • frozen immobile
  • rooted immobile
  • struck immobile

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Borrowed from Latin 'immobilis', a combination of the prefix 'in-' (not) and 'mobilis' (movable). The word entered English through Old French during the 14th century, initially used to describe physical objects that could not be moved.