passive

adjective

ˈpa-siv How to pronounce passive (audio)
Definition of passivenext
as in resigned
receiving or enduring without offering resistance the union rank and file were surprisingly passive about the givebacks in the new labor contract

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word passive different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of passive are idle, inactive, inert, and supine. While all these words mean "not engaged in work or activity," passive implies immobility or lack of normally expected response to an external force or influence and often suggests deliberate submissiveness or self-control.

passive resistance

When might idle be a better fit than passive?

While in some cases nearly identical to passive, idle applies to persons that are not busy or occupied or to their powers or their implements.

workers were idle in the fields

When can inactive be used instead of passive?

Although the words inactive and passive have much in common, inactive applies to anyone or anything not in action or in operation or at work.

on inactive status as an astronaut
inactive accounts

Where would inert be a reasonable alternative to passive?

While the synonyms inert and passive are close in meaning, inert as applied to things implies powerlessness to move or to affect other things; as applied to persons it suggests an inherent or habitual indisposition to activity.

inert ingredients in drugs
an inert citizenry

When is supine a more appropriate choice than passive?

The words supine and passive are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, supine applies only to persons and commonly implies abjectness or indolence.

a supine willingness to play the fool

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of passive The speakers in the countertop edition have two full-range drivers, a down-firing woofer, and two force-canceling passive radiators. — James Peckham, PC Magazine, 13 Oct. 2026 The rise in streaming coupled with a desire to push boundaries has seen the nation shift from a more passive importer of formats to one that is setting its agenda on a global stage. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2026 The Ellison family brought in foreign investors, including royal families of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi as passive owners, to contribute equity to the deal. — Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026 The former court reporter will be plenty busy even with a more passive role at Law&Crime/Court TV. — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for passive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for passive
  1. resigned
  2. obedient
  3. acquiescent
Adjective
  • There’s no wonder or dread in this future — just the resigned acceptance that nothing is remarkable, despite all the nifty gadgets everyone has.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2026
  • Liz Alvarado skillfully broadens this figure from a resigned, knowing older woman committed to marrying for security, to believably revealing dormant feelings within her that tamped down her first-and-only true enamorado Diego.
    — Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 12 May 2026
Definition of resigned
Adjective
  • The Attorney General, Todd Blanche, is an obedient Tom Hagen.
    — David Remnick, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Reflecting on her obedient past as a child actor, Panettiere told THR that that pressure ultimately took a toll on her.
    — Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of obedient
Adjective
  • Where Raphael’s infant Christ is plump, acquiescent, docile, Cassatt’s children squirm, resist, and ignore authority.
    — Carmen Rosenberg-Miller, Artforum, 6 Aug. 2026
  • That amendment had been made a dead letter by Jim Crow state legislatures and an acquiescent Supreme Court.
    — Robert D. Bland, The Conversation, 30 Apr. 2026
Definition of acquiescent

Browse Nearby Words

passions
passive
passively
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Cite this Entry

“Passive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passive. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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