nonreactive

IPA/ˌnɒn.riˈæk.tɪv/
IPA/ˌnɑːn.riˈæk.tɪv/

nonreactive — adjective

  • nonreactivepositive
  • more nonreactivecomparative
  • most nonreactivesuperlative

1. describes a substance that stays unchanged when it comes into contact with other

1.形容詞B2
釋義

describes a substance that stays unchanged when it comes into contact with other chemicals, rather than combining with them to form something new

例句

Engineers plate circuit-board contacts with gold because the metal is nonreactive and never rusts.

collocation: nonreactive metal

Dario chose a nonreactive glass container to store the strong cleaning liquid.

同義詞
  • inert

    more formal and scientific; often used for gases like helium or argon

  • stable

    broader term; a stable substance may still react under extreme conditions

  • inactive

    less specific to chemistry; can describe anything not currently working

反義詞
  • reactive

    the direct opposite: undergoes chemical reactions easily

  • volatile

    reacts suddenly or explosively, not just easily

文法句型

nonreactive + noun

be/become/remain + nonreactive

常見錯誤

❌The metal is unreactive to acid.
✅The metal is nonreactive with acid.
💡'Unreactive' is much rarer than 'nonreactive' and may sound awkward to most speakers.

2. describes a person, body part, or living tissue that fails to respond to a stimu

2.形容詞C1
釋義

describes a person, body part, or living tissue that fails to respond to a stimulus that should normally produce a reaction — for example, a pupil that does not shrink when a light is shone into the eye

例句

Sumin's pupils were nonreactive when the doctor shone a light into her eyes.

medical use: nonreactive pupils

After the rock-climbing fall, Mateo's left leg was completely nonreactive to touch.

同義詞
  • unresponsive

    more common in everyday language; covers both physical and emotional lack of reaction

  • impassive

    describes a person's face or manner showing no emotion, not a physical reflex

  • insensitive

    suggests a permanent lack of feeling, not just a temporary failure to respond

反義詞
  • responsive

    the direct opposite: reacts normally to stimuli

  • reactive

    shows a quick or strong response to a stimulus

文法句型

nonreactive + to + noun

be/become/remain + nonreactive

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1 (CHEMICALLY INACTIVE): this sense describes living tissue or a person's response, not a chemical substance.

常見錯誤

❌Her skin was nonreactive for the cream.
✅Her skin was nonreactive to the cream.
💡The correct preposition is 'to', not 'for', when describing a lack of response to a stimulus.

3. describes pans, pots, and bowls made from materials such as glass, ceramic, or s

3.形容詞B2
釋義

describes pans, pots, and bowls made from materials such as glass, ceramic, or stainless steel that do not react with acidic foods like tomatoes or vinegar, leaving the taste and colour of the dish unchanged

例句

Wren simmered the tomato sauce in a nonreactive ceramic pot to keep the flavour clean.

collocation: nonreactive ceramic pot

Brandon replaced his old aluminium pan with a nonreactive stainless steel one.

同義詞
  • inert

    more scientific; rarely used in everyday cooking contexts

  • nonporous

    describes a surface that liquids cannot soak into — a different property from chemical nonreactivity

反義詞
  • reactive

    describes cookware, typically aluminium or copper, that can react with acidic foods and alter the taste

文法句型

nonreactive + pan/pot/bowl/container/cookware

用法筆記

Typically used before nouns such as pan, pot, bowl, container, or cookware. Rarely used predicatively.