Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Of, relating to, or characterized by habitual passive resistance to requirements for performance in occupational or social situations, as by procrastination, stubbornness, sullenness, or inefficiency.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective psychology Showing
passive , sometimesobstructionist resistance to following authoritative instructions in interpersonal or occupational situations.
Etymologies
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Examples
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Drake and Shebib's artistic stance on Take Care effectively hamstrings the production simply so that Drake can voice his, yeah, passive-aggressive rhymes within an atmosphere that lulls us into listening, seduces us into staying with him.
News 2011
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Drake and Shebib's artistic stance on Take Care effectively hamstrings the production simply so that Drake can voice his, yeah, passive-aggressive rhymes within an atmosphere that lulls us into listening, seduces us into staying with him.
News 2011
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What is the younger generation to you but a chance to flex your ego and demonstrate what you can control through these passive-aggressive pronouncements of disappointment and threats of monetary burdens.
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But the Pulitzer Board's passive-aggressive attitude towards online writing is the comedy gift that keeps on giving.
Archive 2009-02-01 Matthew Guerrieri 2009
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"To the U.S., the Chinese will be passive-aggressive," says Patrick Chovanec , a business professor at Beijing's Tsinghua University.
China Is Expected to Resist Oil Shift Bob Davis 2012
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Now, that's some passive-aggressive trash talk: Not only does Thomas let in easy goals, he doesn't have the decency to slide a return compliment across the rink!
Playoff Fireworks, Minus the Stargazing Jason Gay 2011
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But the Pulitzer Board's passive-aggressive attitude towards online writing is the comedy gift that keeps on giving.
I catch the paper boy / But things don't really change Matthew Guerrieri 2009
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Both of us were locked in a passive-aggressive war of silent wills.
Welcome to My World Johnny Weir 2011
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"Oh no, another big decision, another headache, 50 calls to an insurance company, another go-round with the passive-aggressive phone answerer who, even though she's never met me, calls me Freddy as she puts me on hold."
Word of the Decade: 'Unsustainable' Peggy Noonan 2011
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All these expressions contained a depth of passive-aggressive mastery that impressed me greatly, no matter how frustrating, and I started to think Umm Hassane could make millions teaching corporate communication seminars.
Day of Honey Annia Ciezadlo 2011
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