passive

passive
[[t]pæ̱sɪv[/t]]
1) ADJ-GRADED (disapproval) If you describe someone as passive, you mean that they do not take action but instead let things happen to them.

His passive attitude made things easier for me...

Even passive acceptance of the regime was a kind of collaboration.

Syn:
Ant:
Derived words:
passively ADV-GRADED usu ADV with v

He sat there passively, content to wait for his father to make the opening move.

passivity [[t]pæsɪ̱vɪti[/t]] N-UNCOUNT

...the passivity of the public under the military occupation.

2) ADJ: ADJ n A passive activity involves watching, looking at, or listening to things rather than doing things.

They want less passive ways of filling their time.

...the passive enjoyment one gets from looking at a painting or sculpture.

Ant:
3) ADJ: ADJ n Passive resistance involves showing opposition to the people in power in your country by not co-operating with them and protesting in non-violent ways.

They made it clear that they would only exercise passive resistance in the event of a military takeover.

Ant:
4) N-SING: the N In grammar, the passive or the passive voice is formed using `be' and the past participle of a verb. The subject of a passive clause does not perform the action expressed by the verb but is affected by it. For example, in `He's been murdered', the verb is in the passive. Compare active.

English dictionary. 2008.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?
Synonyms:
, , , , / , , , , ,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • passive — pas·sive / pa siv/ adj: not involving, deriving from, or requiring effort or active participation imposed a passive duty not to interfere; specif: of, relating to, or being business activity in which the investor does not have immediate control… …   Law dictionary

  • Passive — Pas sive, a. [L. passivus: cf. F. passif. See {Passion}.] 1. Not active, but acted upon; suffering or receiving impressions or influences; as, they were passive spectators, not actors in the scene. [1913 Webster] The passive air Upbore their… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • passive — 1. The passive voice is illustrated by the sentence Brazil were beaten by France in the final, in which the object of the active verb becomes the subject of the passive verb and the subject is expressed as an agent introduced by the preposition… …   Modern English usage

  • Passive — is the opposite of active. It has several specific meanings:* Passive voice of a verb * Passivation is the formation of a non reactive surface film that inhibits further corrosion of a metal * Passive components in electronics * Passive mode in… …   Wikipedia

  • passive — [pas′iv] adj. [ME passif < L passivus < passus: see PASSION] 1. influenced or acted upon without exerting influence or acting in return; inactive, but acted upon 2. offering no opposition or resistance; submissive; yielding; patient 3.… …   English World dictionary

  • passive — (adj.) late 14c., in grammatical sense (opposed to active), from L. passivus capable of feeling or suffering, from pass , pp. stem of pati to suffer (see PASSION (Cf. passion)). Meaning not active is first recorded late 15c. Passive resistance… …   Etymology dictionary

  • passive — ► ADJECTIVE 1) accepting or allowing what happens or what others do, without active response or resistance. 2) Grammar (of verbs) in which the subject undergoes the action of the verb (e.g. they were killed as opposed to the active form he killed …   English terms dictionary

  • passive — inactive, inert, idle, supine Analogous words: impassive, phlegmatic, stolid, apathetic Antonyms: active Contrasted words: live, operative, dynamic (see ACTIVE) …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • passive — [adj] lifeless, inactive acquiescent, apathetic, asleep, bearing, compliant, cool, docile, enduring, flat, forbearing, going through motions*, hands off*, idle, indifferent, inert, laid back*, latent, long suffering, moony, motionless,… …   New thesaurus

  • passive — As used in law, this term means inactive; permissive; consisting in endurance or submission, rather than action; and in some connections it carries the implication of being subjected to a burden or charge. As to passive debt passive negligence… …   Black's law dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”