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
  • Tropical Depression Two formed Sunday morning from a low-pressure system near Florida’s Gulf coast, and it is forecast to become Tropical Storm Bertha by late Sunday or early Monday, forecasters said.
    — Robin Webb, Sun Sentinel, 19 July 2026
  • The album was born after years of crossing paths with Lloyd-Watson and Kitto on the festival circuit before the trio finally met for what was intended to be a low-pressure writing session in Los Angeles.
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 17 July 2026
Definition of low-pressure
Adjective
  • In a 2022 University of Cincinnati trial, 33 overweight adults ages 50 to 65 with prediabetes and mild memory complaints were given either a daily blueberry powder equivalent to a half-cup of fresh berries or a placebo for 12 weeks.
    — Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 July 2026
  • Japanese Sansho pepper brings a vibrant citrus aroma, combined with a somehow-mild, tingling heat that leaves a temporary numbing sensation on the tongue.
    — Aly Walansky, Forbes.com, 22 July 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
  • Without getting into spoilers, the series wraps on an ambiguous ending that asks the viewer to decide just how much Lonnie has grown.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 16 July 2026
  • Before Bear makes his wish, the film is purposefully ambiguous about whether Nikki has any real feelings for him.
    — Tania Azhang, Sacbee.com, 16 July 2026
Definition of ambiguous
Adjective
  • The Space Development Agency was established in 2019 to help speed up the deployment of US military space systems by sidestepping the Pentagon’s traditional sluggish bureaucracy.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 17 July 2026
  • The result was several years of sluggish orders, flat-to-declining earnings, and investor concerns that Danaher's best days were behind it.
    — Harvey Stober, CNBC, 16 July 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
  • But only a few days ago, this sleepy community was struck by tragedy when an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a 25-year-old father and Colombian national.
    — Carine Hajjar, Washington Post, 21 July 2026
  • The formerly sleepy economies of suburban Austin, Texas and Syracuse, NY are getting two new semiconductor chip plants.
    — Adrian Ma, NPR, 21 July 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 23 Jul. 2026.

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