Apsuchos (ἄψυχος) combines a (without) and psuchē (soul, life). It means "without soul or life, inanimate, lifeless." It appears once in 1 Corinthians 14:7, where Paul uses inanimate musical instruments to illustrate the need for intelligibility in worship.
Paul's use of apsuchos (inanimate instruments) in 1 Corinthians 14 argues for intelligible, ordered worship over unintelligible tongues without interpretation. Even a lifeless harp or flute is useless unless it makes a distinguishable sound. How much more should the Spirit-filled congregation speak words that build up! The contrast between apsuchos (lifeless) and the church is stark: the church is not a lifeless instrument but the living temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16), called to speak, sing, and prophesy in ways that transform and edify.