inactivating
Rendering no longer functional
Inactivating means rendering something inactive or ineffective.
The term appears most often in scientific contexts—inactivating a virus, inactivating an enzyme, inactivating a gene.
The heat treatment succeeded in inactivating the pathogen.
Outside laboratories, deactivating or disabling are more common choices.
Causing loss of function
- neutralizeCancel an effect
- immobilizeStop all motion
- incapacitateDeprive of strength or ability
- paralyzeCause loss of movement
impair · cripple · debilitate · neuter · nullify · weaken · undermine · disengage
Prolonged winter dormancy
- torporInactive, sluggish state
- quiescenceState of being inactive
- latencyDelay in system response
- dormantInactive but capable
suspended · fallow · resting · slumber · stasis · standstill · pause · recess
Stopping noise or dissent
- quellingForcibly ending resistance
- subduingBringing under control
- stiflingOppressively hot and close
- restrainingHolding something back
smothering · dampening · muting · repressing · inhibiting · squelching · blocking · curbing
Altering natural molecular structure
- inhibitingPreventing or slowing action
- blockingImpeding forward progress
- bindingLegally or morally required
- phosphorylationPhosphate group attachment process
catalysis · enzyme · receptor · substrate · ligand · antagonist · knockdown · mutation
disabling
Causing loss of function
- neutralizeCancel an effect
- immobilizeStop all motion
- incapacitateDeprive of strength or ability
paralyze · impair · cripple · debilitate · neuter · nullify · weaken · undermine · disengage · disconnect
hibernation
Prolonged winter dormancy
- torporInactive, sluggish state
- quiescenceState of being inactive
- latencyDelay in system response
dormant · suspended · fallow · resting · slumber · stasis · standstill · pause · recess · quietude
silencing
Stopping noise or dissent
restraining · smothering · dampening · muting · repressing · inhibiting · squelching · blocking · curbing · checking
denaturing
Altering natural molecular structure
- inhibitingPreventing or slowing action
- blockingImpeding forward progress
- bindingLegally or morally required
phosphorylation · catalysis · enzyme · receptor · substrate · ligand · antagonist · knockdown · mutation · degradation
inactivatingactivating
Causing to function
enabling · switching on · turning on · starting · initiating
inactivatingactivating
Causing to function
stimulating · catalyzing · potentiating · inducing · expressing