as in meek
not talking or behaving in a loud and confident way
a modest, unassertive person an unassertive manner
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Recent Examples of unassertive
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
Accommodating, which is unassertive and cooperative, prioritizes the needs and preferences of others over one’s own in order to maintain harmony.
—Ellen Choi, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
Shy and unassertive, she’s often been overlooked by others and kept to herself.
—Yasmine Alsayyad, The New Yorker, 9 Jan. 2023
After a time, Patterson’s play-it-down-the-middle approach feels less like the remembrances of a Renaissance man and more like evasive, unassertive hedging.
—Mark Athitakis, Washington Post, 6 June 2022
The sun, only rarely in evidence behind gray clouds, set quickly and bade us an unassertive farewell.
—Washington Post, 1 Jan. 2022
My own thoughts have been along the line of weak, unassertive, super humble and timid.
—Glenna Christensen, idahostatesman, 14 June 2018
Meryl Streep stars as Post owner Katherine Graham, an unassertive socialite who normally follows the journalistic lead of her editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks, playing it too cute).
—John Powers, Vogue, 13 Dec. 2017
Ellen Choi, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
Accommodating, which is unassertive and cooperative, prioritizes the needs and preferences of others over one’s own in order to maintain harmony.
—Ellen Choi, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
Shy and unassertive, she’s often been overlooked by others and kept to herself.
—Yasmine Alsayyad, The New Yorker, 9 Jan. 2023
After a time, Patterson’s play-it-down-the-middle approach feels less like the remembrances of a Renaissance man and more like evasive, unassertive hedging.
—Mark Athitakis, Washington Post, 6 June 2022
The sun, only rarely in evidence behind gray clouds, set quickly and bade us an unassertive farewell.
—Washington Post, 1 Jan. 2022
My own thoughts have been along the line of weak, unassertive, super humble and timid.
—Glenna Christensen, idahostatesman, 14 June 2018
Meryl Streep stars as Post owner Katherine Graham, an unassertive socialite who normally follows the journalistic lead of her editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks, playing it too cute).
—John Powers, Vogue, 13 Dec. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unassertive
Adjective
-
Ahead of the clash with Bournemouth, Guardiola has said not even victory in the competition would salvage the poor showings in the Champions League and meek surrender of the Premier League title.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
-
Episodes 5 and 6 inverted the relationship between abrasive eldest boy Saxon and the meek baby of the family, Lochlan.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Like a cat with nine lives, the building has undergone multiple renovations since its humble start as a savonnerie, or soap factory, in 1630.—
Travel + Leisure Editors,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Apr. 2025
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But why has this humble $2.99 bag, ostensibly intended to carry produce, turned into such a status symbol?—
Stephanie McNeal,
Glamour,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Consensus estimates point to modest nonfarm payroll growth of 130,000 in April and the unemployment rate holding steady at 4.2%.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes.com,
27 Apr. 2025
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The dress featured long sleeves and a modest neckline, with sheer portions visible at the sleeves and the lower part of the dress.—
Renan Botelho,
Footwear News,
26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Wu was seen as timid at the beginning of the migrant crisis, staying in the background while Healey seized a Roxbury community rec center as a migrant shelter.—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
25 Mar. 2025
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Of course, a lot of Republicans don’t feel that way because they’re being tricked into returning to a George W. Bush-era mindset where Democrats are weak and timid on the world stage while Republicans are tough and firm and willing to bomb the hell out of anyone who stands in their way.—
Connor Okeeffe,
Oc Register,
23 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unassertive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unassertive. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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