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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Recent Examples of passive
The recording was made by a passive acoustic recorder, which was around 900 miles from where the OceanGate vessel imploded and was made by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
—
Dan Perry, Newsweek, 13 Feb. 2025
Active ETFs have an average management fee of 0.63%, compared with an average of 0.44% for passive funds, data from Morningstar showed.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 13 Feb. 2025
Here are a few things to know beforehand, including the differences between active and passive speakers, each of which has its strengths and weaknesses.
—Ryan Waniata, WIRED, 12 Feb. 2025
The audio was captured by a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration moored passive acoustic recorder, approximately 900 miles from the implosion site, the Coast Guard said.
—Graham Hurley, CNN, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for passive
Dan Perry, Newsweek, 13 Feb. 2025
Active ETFs have an average management fee of 0.63%, compared with an average of 0.44% for passive funds, data from Morningstar showed.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 13 Feb. 2025
Here are a few things to know beforehand, including the differences between active and passive speakers, each of which has its strengths and weaknesses.
—Ryan Waniata, WIRED, 12 Feb. 2025
The audio was captured by a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration moored passive acoustic recorder, approximately 900 miles from the implosion site, the Coast Guard said.
—Graham Hurley, CNN, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for passive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for passive
Adjective
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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
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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
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His oxygen tank sat at his knees like an obedient mastiff.—
Brandon Taylor,
The Atlantic,
4 Jan. 2025
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Anyone who meets the gentle, obedient boy would never call him that.—
Bebe Hodges,
USA TODAY,
15 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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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
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The young man’s comment was out of line, and my silence felt somehow acquiescent.—
Judith Martin,
The Mercury News,
21 Sep. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Passive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passive. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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