1
as in acquiescence
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2
as in inertia
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of passivity
Only Clark’s passivity seems more out of the boredom of having peaked at local-news celebrity status than anything else.
—
Andy Andersen, Vulture, 9 Mar. 2026
None of his subjects question this way of thinking, and their zomboid passivity ultimately feels more creepy than charming.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
Her passivity in the face of her friend’s suicide leads to her confinement in the psychiatric hospital.
—David Tucker, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Mar. 2026
Riddled by insecurities and passivity, George is a modern guy whose self-sabotaging behavior has cost him his job, his boyfriend, and his happiness.
—Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for passivity
Andy Andersen, Vulture, 9 Mar. 2026
None of his subjects question this way of thinking, and their zomboid passivity ultimately feels more creepy than charming.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
Her passivity in the face of her friend’s suicide leads to her confinement in the psychiatric hospital.
—David Tucker, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Mar. 2026
Riddled by insecurities and passivity, George is a modern guy whose self-sabotaging behavior has cost him his job, his boyfriend, and his happiness.
—Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for passivity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for passivity
Noun
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But as the sexist and racist nature of the MAGA machine has gained mainstream acquiescence if not acceptance, the need to keep up the appearance of diversity is less and less.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Apr. 2026
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Moss’ dour expression, over-relied upon for silent exposition throughout six seasons, conveys terror in the here and now, as well as for a future where fear is replaced by acquiescence.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The narrators of these songs are trapped inside their habits, aware that the inertia of their personalities is too strong to be moved by another person.—
Daniel Felsenthal,
Pitchfork,
7 Apr. 2026
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These are lighter, more heat-resistant, and have less inertia, which translates to sharper turn-in and less effort to move the thing.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But for Coles, his indoctrination to law enforcement has been a different level of submissiveness.—
Dan Pompei,
New York Times,
2 Dec. 2025
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In Killers of the Flower Moon, his Ernest Burkhart starts off as a mopey, weak-minded World War One veteran, eager to do anything for his godfather uncle (Robert De Niro), but there’s still a certain likability to his dim-bulb submissiveness.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The growing apathy toward big-screen entertainment was also owed to the patina of all-American wholesomeness that studios imposed on their stables of stars, and the nothing-to-see-here style of movie journalism was wearing thin.—
Joshua John Miller,
Vanity Fair,
9 Apr. 2026
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Constant boredom can cause real distress, apathy, or frustration.—
Amanda Morin,
Parents,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In spite of a seismic crossing of the technological Rubicon, an abandonment of the centuries-old deference to the naked eye, a codifying and calcifying of the most atomic-level building block of the sport, baseball mostly just looked like baseball.—
Hannah Keyser,
CNN Money,
31 Mar. 2026
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In Syria, Russia positioned itself between Iran and Israel, using its S-400 missile system to control the skies and leveraging that control to extract deference from both sides.—
Joseph Epstein,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Perhaps because of Chicago’s many diverse neighborhoods, or its blue-collar history, or its frigid winters, the city epitomizes the values of hard work, kindness toward others, humility, and basic common-sense and decency.—
Daniel Holz,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
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Morning humility check, evening confidence reinforcement.—
Brendan Keegan,
Rolling Stone,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Their apps seem clearly designed, much like TikTok and Candy Crush, to keep users scrolling and tapping in a hypnotic stupor.—
McKay Coppins,
The Atlantic,
12 Mar. 2026
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Patrons — many just as panicked and some in a drunken stupor — ran by her.—
Emiliano Tahui Gómez,
Austin American Statesman,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Such meekness is understandable from him.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Feb. 2026
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Likewise, meekness once meant not becoming weak, but subjugating power to reason – not letting anger take control.—
Timothy J. Pawl,
The Conversation,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Passivity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/passivity. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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