passive
PAS-ihv
Passive (adjective) means accepting what happens without acting to change or resist it. Example: “She stayed passive during the argument and simply waited for it to end.”
adjective
1
Accepting what happens without acting to change or resist it.
"She stayed passive during the argument and simply waited for it to end."
"Don't be so passive about your career; ask for what you want."
"He took a passive approach and let others make the decisions."
2
Describing a grammatical construction where the subject receives the action rather than performing it.
"Change this passive sentence into the active form by naming who did it."
"In "The window was broken", the verb is passive because the doer is missing."
""The cake was eaten" is written in the passive voice."
3
Not requiring active input or power; not actively generating energy.
"Passive cooling uses no fan, relying on metal fins to release heat."
"The greenhouse stays warm through passive design, with no pumps or electricity."
"The house uses passive solar heating."
How to use passive
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishNot taking action — letting things happen rather than making them happen.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
passive voice
passive income
passive-aggressive
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Word forms
- Comparative
- more passive
- Superlative
- most passive
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She stayed _____ during the argument and simply waited for it to end.
Etymology
From Latin passivus, "capable of suffering or being acted upon," from pati, "to suffer."
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for passive
See all rhymes for passive →Frequently asked questions
What does “passive” mean?
The word “passive” means accepting what happens without acting to change or resist it. In plain terms, not taking action — letting things happen rather than making them happen.
How do you pronounce “passive”?
“Passive” is pronounced PAS-ihv (/ˈpæs.ɪv/ in IPA).
How do you use “passive” in a sentence?
Here is “passive” used in a sentence: “He took a passive approach and let others make the decisions.”
What is another word for “passive”?
Words with a similar meaning to “passive” include disinterested and uninvolved.
What part of speech is “passive”?
“Passive” is an adjective.
Where does the word “passive” come from?
The word “passive” comes from Latin. From Latin passivus, "capable of suffering or being acted upon," from pati, "to suffer.".
Is “passive” a common word?
“Passive” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “passive” have?
“Passive” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: accepting what happens without acting to change or resist it.
What is the difference between active and passive voice?
In the active voice the subject performs the action, as in "The dog chased the ball." In the passive voice the subject receives the action, as in "The ball was chased by the dog," and the verb is formed with be plus a past participle.
Is it wrong to use the passive voice?
No, the passive is fully grammatical and is the natural choice when the doer of the action is unknown or unimportant, as in "My car was stolen." It is only criticised when overused, because too much passive can make writing vague and wordy.
What is the difference between passive and passive-aggressive?
A passive person accepts what happens without acting to change or resist it. A passive-aggressive person appears to comply but expresses resistance indirectly, for example through sulking, delays, or subtle digs, rather than stating objections openly.
