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 Another experiment on board Athena is the Laser Retro-Reflector Array (LRA) — a passive technology demonstration that doesn't require a power source or mechanical components. Josh Dinner, Space.com, 6 Mar. 2025 Pattinson manages a fine and witty character delineation between good-hearted, passive #17 and steely, brutal #18. Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 6 Mar. 2025 O’Neill’s suggestion that Manson was a passive, convenient puppet potentially trained in CIA tactics only develops intermittently. Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 6 Mar. 2025 If the feds start trading those assets to hit certain allocation targets, that's not passive. Brady Dale, Axios, 3 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for passive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for passive
Adjective
  • Some of the more jarring sequences remain amusing despite their brashness: At one point, for example, Mickey narrates a shocking vignette—about a psychopath on Earth who printed multiple copies of himself to carry out grisly murders—with the resigned, wary tone of an office worker.
    Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2025
  • The goat had a resigned look in her eyes as the rancher pressed her udder and aimed a stream of milk into a tall cup.
    Daniel Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • His oxygen tank sat at his knees like an obedient mastiff.
    Brandon Taylor, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2025
  • Anyone who meets the gentle, obedient boy would never call him that.
    Bebe Hodges, USA TODAY, 15 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Netanyahu appears convinced that his country’s security, along with his own political survival, depends on prolonging the military offensives and keeping both Gaza and Lebanon ungovernable, and therefore acquiescent.
    Mohanad Hage Ali, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2024
  • The young man’s comment was out of line, and my silence felt somehow acquiescent.
    Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 21 Sep. 2024

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Passive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passive. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on passive

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!