passive

Meanings

Adjective

• Being subjected to an action without producing a reaction.
• Taking no action.
• Being in the passive voice.
• Being inactive and submissive in a relationship, especially in a sexual one.
• Not participating in management.
• Without motive power.
• Of a component: that consumes but does not produce energy, or is incapable of power gain.
• Where allowance is made for a possible future event.

Noun

• The passive voice of verbs.
• A form of a verb that is in the passive voice.
• A customer who is satisfied with a product or service, but not keen enough to promote it by word of mouth.
• Any component that consumes but does not produce energy, or is incapable of power gain.

Related

Similar words

• inactive
• idle
• disinterested
• uninvolved

Opposite words

• active
• aggressive

Origin

• From Middle English passyf, passyve, from Middle French, French passif, from Latin passivus ("serving to express the suffering of an action; in late Latin literally capable of suffering or feeling"), from passus, past participle of patior, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peh₁- ("to hurt"); compare patient.