PASSIVE Synonyms: 76 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

passive

adjective

ˈpa-siv

Definition of passive next

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

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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

Examples of passive in a Sentence

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Recent Examples on the Web The base MacBook Pro M3 with the same processor does have slightly better multicore performance than the 13-inch Air, likely due to its active cooling, but it’s actually beaten by the 15-inch Air, likely due to that Air’s larger, passive heatsink. —

Antonio G. Di Benedetto, The Verge, 30 Oct. 2024 Smaller satellites that will at least mostly burn up can also use some assistance in coming down in a timely but passive manner. —

Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2024 The right speaker houses the electronics and weighs 3.5 pounds, while the left speaker is passive and is slightly lighter at 3.3 pounds. —

PCMAG, 27 Oct. 2024 My experience was essentially that of a passive observer, and that stoked an ever-mounting feeling of helplessness and horror at the individual experiences that flood social media. —

Hazlitt, 23 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for passive

Recent Examples of Synonyms for passive

Adjective

Crowds gathering for the Royal Horticultural Society’s Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival on the sprawling palace grounds reached into backpacks for umbrellas with the resigned look of people attending a supremely English occasion designed to be held in sunshine.

Sophie Elmhirst, The New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2024
The second-year Chicago Bears cornerback let out a resigned sigh and laugh.

Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2024