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submissiveready to conform to the authority or will of others; meekly obedient or passive

Part of speech: ADJECTIVE

Definition: ready to conform to the authority or will of others; meekly obedient or passive

Pronunciation (IPA): /səbˈmɪsɪv/

Example Sentences

  • The new intern was so submissive that he agreed to fetch coffee for everyone, including the janitor.
  • She adopted a submissive posture during the negotiation to avoid conflict.
  • The cat's submissive purring suddenly turned into aggressive hissing when it saw the vacuum cleaner.

submissive

ADJECTIVE

[/səbˈmɪsɪv/]

ready to conform to the authority or will of others; meekly obedient or passive

ready to conform to the authority or will of others; meekly obedient or passive
💡 Concept

ready to conform to the authority or will of others; meekly obedient or passive

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🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/səbˈmɪsɪv/
🇬🇧 UK/səbˈmɪsɪv/

🌳Etymology

Prefixsub--
Rootmiss
Suffix--ive

Origin

From Latin 'submissus', the past participle of 'submittere' meaning 'to place under' or 'to yield'. The word combines the prefix 'sub-' (under) with 'mittere' (to send or place), reflecting the idea of yielding to authority.

Breakdown

sub- (under) + miss (send/place, from Latin mittere) + -ive (adjective suffix indicating a quality or tendency) = submissive

🎵Rhyme

permissivedismissiveadmissive
permissive
dismissive
admissive

🔗Collocations

submissive behavior
submissive attitude
be submissive to
submissive wife
submissive personality
completely submissive
submissive role

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

The new intern was so submissive that he agreed to fetch coffee for everyone, including the janitor.

She adopted a submissive posture during the negotiation to avoid conflict.

😄 Fun example

The cat's submissive purring suddenly turned into aggressive hissing when it saw the vacuum cleaner.

His submissive nature made him unsuitable for leadership positions.

📚Related Words

Synonyms

obedientcompliantdocilemeekyielding

Antonyms

dominantassertiverebellious

Related

submitsubmissionsubservientpassivedeferential

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