Antonyms of verb activate

1 of 5 senses of activate

Sense 2
activate -- (make active or more active; "activate an old file")
       Antonym of inactivate (Sense 2)
      => inactivate, deactivate -- (make inactive; "they deactivated the file")

Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of verb activate

5 senses of activate

Sense 1
trip, actuate, trigger, activate, set off, spark off, spark, trigger off, touch off -- (put in motion or move to act; "trigger a reaction"; "actuate the circuits")
       => initiate, pioneer -- (take the lead or initiative in; participate in the development of; "This South African surgeon pioneered heart transplants")

Sense 2
activate -- (make active or more active; "activate an old file")
       => change, alter, modify -- (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue")

Sense 3
activate -- (make more adsorptive; "activate a metal")
       => change, alter, modify -- (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue")

Sense 4
activate, aerate -- (aerate (sewage) so as to favor the growth of organisms that decompose organic matter)
       => change, alter, modify -- (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue")

Sense 5
activate -- (make (substances) radioactive)
       => change, alter, modify -- (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation; "The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city"; "The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue")