nonassertive

adjective

Definition of nonassertivenext
1
as in nonemphatic

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in low-pressure

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nonassertive People who knew Zhang described him to police as a nonassertive man who avoided conflict and typically acquiesced to his wife. — Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2021 Those who saw an assertive ad chose to allocate $7 of the gift card to the brand on average, compared with $14 for those who saw a nonassertive ad. — Alina Dizik, WSJ, 16 May 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonassertive
  1. unemphatic
  2. low-pressure
  3. mild
  4. unassertive
  5. ambiguous
  6. sluggish
  7. guarded
  8. sleepy
Adjective
  • The beat is steady and usually unemphatic; the song circles through three chords again and again.
    — Jon Pareles, New York Times, 6 July 2018
  • This 1991 feature, the second by Mexican filmmaker Maria Novaro, is leisurely paced and unemphatic but firmly conceived and executed, with a lot of feeling for female solidarity.
    — Patrick Friel, Chicago Reader, 17 Apr. 2018
Definition of unemphatic
Adjective
  • An area of high pressure over the Northeast, combined with a non-tropical low-pressure system in the Atlantic, are creating a corridor of persistent winds blowing onshore over the Southeast coast.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Along the East Coast, strong low-pressure systems could be far more frequent than normal this winter, with about 18 forecast compared with a typical nine.
    — Washington Post, Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of low-pressure
Adjective
  • Petersen’s research established the concept of mild cognitive impairment, which lies between healthy cognitive aging and dementia.
    — Richard Sima, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Dunlap is also mild-mannered next to LePage and almost as well-known.
    — David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of mild
Adjective
  • This film, so seemingly unassertive, apparently rambling and plotless, has a devastating impact and aftershock.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2026
  • Avoiding is unassertive and uncooperative, where an individual tends to give up on their own needs and acquiesce to the desires of others by disengaging from the situation altogether.
    — Ellen Choi, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
Definition of unassertive
Adjective
  • Jones, Cullen and Locke are pleased to hear how effective the ambiguous ending to Black Church Bay is.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026
  • That’s a question for next season, but their flirtation has been built around Sid’s ambiguous motives from the beginning.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of ambiguous
Adjective
  • The luxury market is still facing a sluggish recovery, particularly in China, as consumers only become more selective about spending.
    — Yiling Pan, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
  • However, the stock is unlikely to sustain that momentum due to sluggish sales of its latest mobile phones, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, per Baruah.
    — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of sluggish
Adjective
  • When that happens, people become more guarded, less open and less willing to engage.
    — Tony Gambill, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Our spirits remain guarded, but high, for this one; the Venice Film Festival crowd seemed to eat it up.
    — Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 3 Sep. 2024
Definition of guarded
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, angry residents continue to flood once-sleepy municipal board meetings, pressuring officials to reject data center proposals.
    — Marc Levy, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • What was once a boring, sleepy issue where the PUC made decisions more or less in a vacuum is no longer the case.
    — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of sleepy

Browse Nearby Words

nonartistic
nonassertive
nonathletic
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Cite this Entry

“Nonassertive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonassertive. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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