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passive

/ˈpæs.ɪv/
Meanings
  • adjective, noun

    Receiving or suffering an action; being acted upon.

    - "The ball was passive in the game, not making any moves."
    - "The passive voice of a sentence is when the subject is receiving the action."
  • adjective

    Inert or unresponsive.

    - "The audience was passive during the entire performance."
    - "The machine was passive after the power outage."
Pronunciation
  1. /ˈpæs.ɪv/



    Source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2651269"
Antonyms

active , active , aggressive
Synonyms

disinterested , idle , inactive , uninvolved
Rhymes
Words rhyming with passive
basive , casive , rasive
Homonyms
Words having the same spelling or pronunciation but different meanings and origins

  1. passive (Spanish) : calm, peaceful

  2. passive (Italian) : easy, simple

Homophones
Words having the same pronunciation but different meanings, origins, or spelling,

  1. passive-aggressive () : expressing one's emotions in a subtle, indirect, or indirect manner, often through passive behavior or sarcasm.

  2. passive (Spanish) : calm, peaceful

Variants
List of all variants of passive that leads to same result
passive , passively , passiveness , passivenesses , passives , passive-aggressive , passive-aggressives , passive immunities , passive immunity , passive immunization , passive immunizations , passive-matrix , passive resistance , passive resistances , passive restraint , passive restraints , passive smoking , passive transfer , passive transfers , passive transport
Forms
Different forms of the word (e.g., verb conjugations, plural forms, comparative/superlative forms for adjectives).

passive form of verbs (is/am/are/was/were + past participle)

Etymology
origin and the way in which meanings have changed throughout history.

From Old French pasif, from Latin passivus, past participle of patior, to suffer, endure.

Trivia
Any details, considerations, events or pieces of information regarding the word

  1. The passive voice is often used in legal documents and scientific writing.

  2. Passive sentences can sometimes make the reader work harder to understand the meaning.

  3. Passive voice can be used to create suspense or mystery in writing.

Related Concepts
informations on related concepts or terms closely associated with the word. Discuss semantic fields or domains that the word belongs to

  1. active voice: The opposite of passive voice, where the subject performs the action.

  2. voice (grammar): A way of expressing a sentence, either active or passive.

Quotes
Quotes by authors and personalities

  1. He believes that the time has come for Europeans to discard their "passive" role with respect to the United States and that Americans must be made to understand why.

    - Nicholas Fraser,{it}Harper's{/it},May 2006

  2. Throughout the streets of Moscow last Wednesday, word of the ignominious flight of the Soviet Union's would-be junta brought a sense not of jubilation, but of quiet relief that a bloody civil war had been averted, and of satisfaction that the myth of the "passive", obedient Russian people might be laid to rest.

    - Fred Hiatt,{it}Washington Post{/it},26 Aug.-1 Sept. 1991

  3. The destructive myth/legend of Herbert Hoover strikes again. The nation's 31st President has chronically been portrayed as "passive" in the face of the Great Depression and his successor, Franklin Roosevelt, as the exact opposite—an activist who, if he didn't actually cure the Depression, at least profoundly improved the nation's battered psychology.

    - Steve Forbes,{it}Forbes{/it},30 June 2008
Culture
Any cultural, historical, or symbolic significance of the word. Explore how the word has been used in literature, art, music, or other forms of expression.

In literature, the passive voice is often used for dramatic effect or to create a sense of detachment. In art, the term 'passive' is sometimes used to describe still or calm scenes. In music, a passive mix is when the sound engineer does not make significant changes to the sound during recording.

How to Memorize "passive"

  1. visualize

    - Imagine a ball being hit but not moving, or a person receiving an action instead of performing one.

  2. associate

    - Associate the word with being acted upon or receiving an action.

  3. mnemonics

    - Use the mnemonic 'People Prefer Action' to remember that the subject performs the action in the active voice, while in passive voice, the subject receives the action.

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