adjective · neutral
passive
/ˈpæsɪv/PAS·sive
accepting or allowing what happens without active response; (grammar) relating to the passive voice
Examples
“He remained passive during the meeting and didn't share his ideas.”
“Passive smoking can still harm non-smokers.”
“Students should avoid passive learning and take part in discussions.”
Band 8 sentence
“Relying solely on lectures encourages passive learning; schools should promote collaborative, active tasks instead.”
Collocations
- passive learning
- passive voice
- be passive about
Word family
Common mistakes
He is passive to the problem→He is passive about the problem / passive in addressing the problem
I prefer passive voice in my essays→I prefer the passive voice in my essays
Say it for a higher band
5lazy→6inactive→7+passive
Synonyms
inactive
apathetic
Easily confused
inactive
“After his injury he was inactive for several months.”
passivity
“Her passivity prevented the team from making quick decisions.”
Related words
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In -ive
Learn it with its set