passive-aggressive definitions Merriam Webster's adjective Date: 1946 being, marked by ... expression of negative feelings, resentment, and aggression in an unassertive passive way (as through procrastination and stubbornness) • passive-aggressive noun
... may be defined, that communicates action or motion, opposed to passive, that receives action; as, the active powers of the mind ... which is prosecuted by its own citizens; as contradistinguished from passive commerce, in which the productions of one country are transported ... of the United States is active; that of China is passive. It may be the interest of foreign nations to deprive ... was active in drawing attention to their grievances" [ant: inactive, passive] 4: taking part in an activity; "an active member of ... the semantic function of actor: "Hemingway favors active constructions" [ant: passive] 11: (used of verbs (e.g. `to run') and participial ... ball' uses the active voice" [syn: active voice, active] [ant: passive, passive voice] 3: a person who is a participating ...
... cheap, cheesy, chintzy, crummy, punk, sleazy, tinny] n 1: an aggressive and violent young criminal [syn: hood, hoodlum, goon, punk, thug ... loud fast-moving form of rock music with crude and aggressive effects. b (in full punk rocker) a devotee of this. 3 US a hoodlum or ruffian. 4 US a passive male homosexual. 5 US an inexperienced person; a novice. 6 ... rock music that is played in a fast, loud, and aggressive way and is often a protest against conventional attitudes and ...
... explanation (what do you mean by that?). 2 (often in passive) design or destine for a purpose (mean it to be ... shabby. 5 a malicious, ill-tempered. b US vicious or aggressive in behaviour. 6 colloq. skilful, formidable (is a mean fighter ... me that we were meant to be together. VERB: usu passive, no cont, be V-ed to-inf 12. You say ...
... All the products are labelled with comprehensive instructions. VERB: usu passive, be V-ed, V-ed quote, V-ed with n ... family... If you venture from 'feminine' standards, you are labelled aggressive and hostile. = brand VERB: usu passive, be V-ed as n, be V-ed as adj ...
... the strong to greater strength must yield. 2. Having physical passive power; having ability to bear or endure; firm; solid; as ... the strong to greater strength must yield. --Dryden. 2. Having passive physical power; having ability to bear or endure; firm; hale ... able, able-bodied, accented, acid, acrid, active, acute, adamantine, affluent, aggressive, aggressively, alcoholic, alveolar, animated, antagonistically, apical, apico-alveolar, apico-dental ...
... with a deadly weapon. ...a deadly disease currently affecting dolphins... Passive smoking can be deadly too... = lethal, fatal ADJ 2. If ... rivals fight or compete with each other in a very aggressive way. The two became deadly enemies... ADJ International Standard Bible ...
... 2: make less strong or intense; soften; "Tone down that aggressive letter"; "The author finally tamed some of his potentially offensive ... nonviolent, obedient, obtund, ordinary, orient, orientate, pacific, pacifistic, pacify, palliate, passive, peaceable, peaceful, phlegmatic, play down, pliable, pliant, prosaic, prudent, pusillanimous ...
... a. an action of pressing or pushing ; pressure b. an aggressive pressuring defense employed in basketball often over the entire court ... by on, forward, etc.) hasten insistently. 10 tr. (often in passive) (of an enemy etc.) bear heavily on. 11 tr. (often ...
... type" and that gay men are effeminate and gay women aggressive and masculine) have faded as a result of the increased ... heterosexuality, homoeroticism, homosexualism, incest, incestuousness, lesbianism, masochism, narcissism, necrophilia, paraphilia, passive algolagnia, pedophilia, sadism, sadomasochism, sapphism, scotophilia, sexual inversion, sexual normality ...
... 5: make less strong or intense; soften; "Tone down that aggressive letter"; "The author finally tamed some of his potentially offensive ... sorts, okay, on the fence, ordinary, pacifistic, palliate, paltry, passable, passive, patent, patient, peaceable, peaceful, piddling, play down, poking, poky, presentable ...
... man, who is reasonable almost to the point of blandness. ? aggressive ADJ: usu ADJ n • mildly 'I'm not meddling,' Kenworthy ... mollified, mollifying, nonresistive, nonrigid, nonviolent, obeisant, obliging, pacific, pacifistic, pappy, passive, patient, peaceable, peaceful, placid, pleasant, prudent, pulpy, quiet, room-temperature ...
... a. a deliberate undercover project or scheme ; plot b. plural aggressive or evil intent — used with on or against < he has ... It's not designed for anyone under age eighteen. V-PASSIVE: be V-ed to-inf, be V-ed for n ...
... on him and he was savaged to death. VERB: usu passive, be V-ed 4. If someone or something that they ... Goth, Gothic, Mafioso, Neanderthal, Tartarean, Young Turk, abrade, abuse, afflict, aggressive, aggrieve, agonize, animal, antagonistic, anthropophagite, anthropophagous, assault, atrocious, attack, baneful ...
... large number of them directed at someone, often in an aggressive way. He was faced with a barrage of angry questions ... friends who were furious at the indiscreet disclosures. VERB: usu passive, be V-ed by n, be V-ed with n ...