PASSIVELY Synonyms: 44 Similar and Opposite Words

passively

adverb

Definition of passively

as in meekly

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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 passively The discussion becomes richer because the audience is no longer receiving information passively. — Chiara Alzati, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Someone who occasionally feels warm may do fine with a gel or phase-change topper that passively wicks heat. — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 20 Aug. 2026 Just like the good teachers of Philadelphia’s most (in)famous elementary school, Einhorn, his fellow directors, and the show’s cinematographers and camera team do not want viewers to be passengers, passively receiving information. — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2026 The Insulin Resistance Trends feature uses the watch’s existing sensors to passively monitor metabolic health. — Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 13 Aug. 2026 The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act means the court cannot order Meta to request children to submit personal data or be passively tracked online, even for age verification purposes. — ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026 Altitude control comes from changing overall motor thrust, and its spinning nature makes the drone passively stable. — IEEE Spectrum, 16 July 2026 Wearable solutions are designed to integrate seamlessly into daily life, collecting data passively and allowing it to be shared with clinicians, partners, or support networks when needed. — Matt Emma, USA Today, 14 July 2026 Underwater, the wings passively bend up to 90%, which cuts the load on the motor and shortens the effective sweep of each flap. — New Atlas, 13 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for passively

Adverb

When Luke tells him, meekly, not to touch Crystal, Max only wants to know who the young man is.

— JP Mangalindan, Time, 31 July 2026
Sincere meekly hands her a flower from his pocket and sits down, appearing penitent.

— Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 29 June 2026

Definition of meekly

Adverb

Once the players returned to the field, Diaz inexplicably tried a Panenka-style chip and his weak penalty sailed tamely into the arms of Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.

— Reuters, NBC news, 18 Jan. 2026
Dominik Szoboszlai had just squandered a golden chance by firing tamely into the arms of Emiliano Martinez after winning the ball back high up the field when the Kop parked their frustration and vocally declared their unwavering faith in the Dutchman.

— James Pearce, New York Times, 2 Nov. 2025

Definition of tamely

Adverb

Dovile, who calmly accepts her parents’ divorce when it’s announced to her, lashes out in school by attacking a boy for calling Ukrainians Nazis.

— Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 21 Aug. 2026
Neece is calmly and casually kind, like a faithful bloodhound without jowls.

— Emma Madden, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of calmly

Adverb

The waters of a continent – west from the Rockies and east from the Appalachians – pour into it, sometimes violently, sometimes placidly.

— Alfredo Sosa, Christian Science Monitor, 24 June 2026
Nature is no big deal in Cristian Mungiu‘s superb new drama of systemic order and individual disarray, which takes in the sprawling waters and monochrome mountainscapes of the region with a placidly appreciative eye.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 18 May 2026

Definition of placidly

Adverb

Wright died peacefully following complications from Marchiafava- Bignami disease, a rare degenerative neurological condition he was diagnosed with in 2015, and complications from heart failure, the family said.

— Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 22 Aug. 2026
The second drug is a paralytic that freezes the body from the outside in, creating the effect that the person is peacefully asleep.

— Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of peacefully

Adverb

There will be some minor debates on how much offense Cootes will have in the NHL, and for a 6-0 center, the lack of dynamic traits is mildly concerning.

— Corey Pronman, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
The fact that some drought-tolerant groundcovers are at least mildly invasive should not surprise us very much.

— David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of mildly

Adverb

But, when Ukrainian negotiators push for more detainees, their Russian counterparts tend to respond coolly.

— Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
After controlling the ball twice with his head, Bouanga sprinted into the box and coolly lifted it over goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland and into the net.

— Josh Gross, Daily News, 26 July 2026

Definition of coolly

Adverb

The cumulative impression of Alice that the book leaves is of someone moving serenely through life, meeting fond blessings and awful curses both with the same calm equanimity.

— Ian Penman, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
The camera then panned to a cool and collected Moore, who could be seen serenely watching the frenzy from a chair in the corner.

— Lara Walsh, InStyle, 25 July 2026

Definition of serenely

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“Passively.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passively. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of passively

adverb

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