passive

Pronunciation: PAS-iv

adjective

Definition of passive

Accepting what happens without active response or resistance

Synonyms for passive

  • submissive
  • inactive
  • docile

passive in a Sentence

  1. The teacher worried about students who remained passive during class discussions.

Why passive Matters for GRE & SAT

"passive" is a adjective that means "Accepting what happens without active response or resistance" closely related to words like "submissive", "inactive", "docile". As a word starting with P, it belongs to a cluster of GRE and SAT vocabulary that test-takers often encounter in Verbal Reasoning, Text Completion, and Reading Comprehension sections.

On the GRE, understanding "passive" helps you distinguish between closely related answer choices in Sentence Equivalence questions. On the SAT, recognizing this word in context strengthens your performance on Craft & Structure and Words in Context questions. Seeing how "passive" is used in sentences — like the examples above — builds the contextual understanding that standardized tests reward.

Study tip: Start with the definition and part of speech (adjective). Then learn its 3 synonyms to build a word network. Finally, practice with spaced repetition to move "passive" into long-term memory.

How to Remember passive

One effective way to remember "passive" (adjective) is to group it with similar words you already know: "submissive" and "inactive" and "docile". When you encounter "passive" on a test, these synonym connections help you quickly recall its meaning — "Accepting what happens without active response or resistance".

Use flashcard apps with spaced repetition to review "passive" at increasing intervals until it becomes automatic.

  • pacify — bring peace to or calm someone down
  • painstaking — Done with or employing great care and thoroughness
  • palpable — tangible, perceptible, or clearly noticeable
  • paltry — of little monetary worth; trivial

More Vocabulary Words Starting with P

  • pacify — bring peace to or calm someone down
  • pacify — bring peace to or calm someone down
  • painstaking — Done with or employing great care and thoroughness
  • painstaking — done with careful attention to detail
  • painstaking — done with careful attention to detail
  • palpable — tangible, perceptible, or clearly noticeable
  • palpable — So intense as to seem almost tangible
  • palpable — tangible, perceptible, or clearly noticeable
  • paltry — of little monetary worth; trivial
  • paltry — of little monetary worth; trivial

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