Synonyms of passive

passive

adjective

ˈpa-siv 

as in resigned

receiving or enduring without offering resistance

the union rank and file were surprisingly passive about the givebacks in the new labor contract

Synonyms & Similar Words

• resigned
• obedient
• acquiescent
• tolerant
• nonresistant
• willing
• stoic
• yielding
• docile
• unresistant
• tolerating
• submissive
• compliant
• patient
• impassive
• uncomplaining
• subordinate
• forbearing
• conformist
• pliant
• tractable
• amiable
• conformable
• long-suffering
• pliable
• complying
• surrendering
• apathetic
• amenable
• unresponsive
• subservient
• uncaring
• agreeable
• guidable
• manageable
• slavish
• law-abiding
• obliging
• obeisant
• disciplined
• governable

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• resistant
• resisting
• defiant
• protesting
• unyielding
• rebellious
• refractory
• uncontrollable
• contrary
• disobedient
• recalcitrant
• intractable
• unruly
• insurgent
• contumacious
• mutinous
• willful
• restive
• insubordinate
• wayward
• perverse
• ungovernable
• untoward
• balky
• wrongheaded
• headstrong
• indomitable
• undisciplined
• incompliant
• froward
• unmanageable
• dissident
• nonconformist

Synonym Chooser

How is the word passive different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of passive are idle, inactive, inert, and supine. While all these words mean "not engaged in work or activity," passive implies immobility or lack of normally expected response to an external force or influence and often suggests deliberate submissiveness or self-control.

passive resistance

When might idle be a better fit than passive?

While in some cases nearly identical to passive, idle applies to persons that are not busy or occupied or to their powers or their implements.

workers were idle in the fields

When can inactive be used instead of passive?

Although the words inactive and passive have much in common, inactive applies to anyone or anything not in action or in operation or at work.

on inactive status as an astronaut

inactive accounts

Where would inert be a reasonable alternative to passive?

While the synonyms inert and passive are close in meaning, inert as applied to things implies powerlessness to move or to affect other things; as applied to persons it suggests an inherent or habitual indisposition to activity.

inert ingredients in drugs

an inert citizenry

When is supine a more appropriate choice than passive?

The words supine and passive are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, supine applies only to persons and commonly implies abjectness or indolence.

a supine willingness to play the fool

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of passive

The new structures would need to settle gently into the landscape while meeting passive house and net-zero standards, adhere to a strictly vegan material palette, and channel a restrained Japanese-Shaker sensibility. —Kerry Pieri, Architectural Digest, 4 Mar. 2026

The fall of Oseguera is widely seen as an exclamation point marking the demise of what critics viewed as López Obrador’s passive approach. —Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026

This proprietary, passive radiative cooling technology would enable supercomputers to operate without overheating in space. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 27 Feb. 2026

That passive protection is especially valuable for retirees who can't afford to get a directional bet wrong. —Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 26 Feb. 2026