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
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
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
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
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
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What threatened to be a meek, straight-sets exit for the 13th seed went full-metal crazy on match point down when Bonzi was interrupted from serving it out after a photographer absent-mindedly walked onto the court.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
-
Social deficits can manifest as belligerent or meek.—
Tao Lin,
Harpers Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Some Wordlers also play Competitive Wordle against friends, family, the Wordle Bot or even against me, your humble narrator.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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The humble butter dish, once a purely practical necessity, is enjoying a significant revival, now being showcased on countertops and dining tables in vessels that are both stylish and functional.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Where Old-World Wallpaper Works Best Historically, wallpaper began adorning cupboard interiors and modest rooms of merchant homes.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Sep. 2025
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Allen led Buffalo to a 13-4 finish a year despite modest production from his receivers.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The indie follows Christie, a timid 30-something who, after an unexpected positive pregnancy test, convinces her free-spirited best friend Ally (Ruffin) to help her track down her birth mother.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
8 Sep. 2025
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Sam, meanwhile, is a more timid RA with a longtime girlfriend (Maisy Stella).—
Esther Zuckerman,
IndieWire,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unassertive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unassertive. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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