as in obedience
a readiness or willingness to yield to the wishes of others
his uncharacteristic submissiveness to the doctor's advice must mean he's really sick
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Recent Examples of submissiveness
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
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for submissiveness
Noun
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Dogs begin by mastering basic obedience before moving on to specialized tasks that support their handler’s unique needs.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
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Initially, bedtime stories tended to be moralistic tales designed to reinforce obedience and proper behavior.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Would-be autocrats create environments of fear and powerlessness, using intimidation, overwhelming force or political and legal attacks, and other coercive tactics to force acquiescence and chill democratic pushback.—
Shelley Inglis,
The Conversation,
19 Oct. 2025
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Yet, the lesson of the Voting Rights Act is that the response to these setbacks isn’t despair or acquiescence.—
Time,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Submissiveness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/submissiveness. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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