Meaning & use
passive
Accepting what happens without resisting or actively responding.
See it in a sentence
He remained passive during the argument, letting others make all the decisions.
Passive smoking can harm people who never chose to smoke themselves.
A note on using this word
In grammar, passive voice describes sentences where the subject receives the action, as in the ball was thrown, rather than performing it.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Another way to use it
2. adjective
Denoting a verb form or sentence structure in which the subject receives the action rather than performing it.
'The cake was eaten' is written in the passive voice.
Make it your own
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