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I realize I love crazy ladies. Of course I don't like to think of myself as one, but maybe I am, too. I dunno. I'm always drawn to them; I think it's because I'm attracted to people who aren't in the business of people-pleasing: saying what they really think, not passive-aggressive at all.
Michaela Watkins

Meaning of "passive-aggressive" in the English dictionary

Dictionary
DICTIONARY
section

PRONUNCIATION OF PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE

passive-aggressive play
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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Passive-Aggressive is an adjective.
The adjective is the word that accompanies the noun to determine or qualify it.

WHAT DOES PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Passive-aggressive behavior

Passive-aggressive behavior is the indirect expression of hostility, such as through procrastination, sarcasm, hostile jokes, stubbornness, resentment, sullenness, or deliberate or repeated failure to accomplish requested tasks for which one is responsible. For research purposes, the DSM-IV describes passive-aggressive personality disorder as a "pervasive pattern of negativistic attitudes and passive resistance to demands for adequate performance in social and occupational situations".

Definition of passive-aggressive in the English dictionary

The definition of passive-aggressive in the dictionary is of or relating to a personality that harbours aggressive emotions while behaving in a calm or detached manner.

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE

passions
Passiontide
passivate
passivation
passive
passive balance of trade
passive disobedience
passive euthanasia
passive obedience
passive resistance
passive restraint
passive safety
passive smoker
passive smoking
passive vocabulary
passively
passiveness
passivism
passivist
passivity

WORDS THAT END LIKE PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE

aggressive
comprehensive
compressive
depressive
dismissive
emissive
excessive
expressive
immunosuppressive
impressive
massive
obsessive
oppressive
passive
permissive
possessive
progressive
recessive
repressive
submissive
successive

Synonyms and antonyms of passive-aggressive in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

Translation of «passive-aggressive» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE

Find out the translation of passive-aggressive to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of passive-aggressive from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «passive-aggressive» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

被动攻击
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

pasivo-agresivo
570 millions of speakers

English

passive-aggressive
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

निष्क्रिय आक्रामक
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

السلبي العدواني
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

пассивно-агрессивный
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

passivo-agressivo
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

আক্রমনাত্মক কর্মবাচ্য
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

passif-agressif
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

pasif agresif
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

passiv-aggressive
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

受動攻撃的
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

수동적 - 공격적
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Pasif-agresif
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

thụ động tích cực
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

செயலற்ற-ஆக்கிரமிப்பு
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

निष्क्रीय आक्रमक
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

pasif agresif
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

passivo-aggressivo
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

bierno- agresywne
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

пасивно - агресивний
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

pasiv - agresiv
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

παθητική - επιθετική
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

passiewe - aggressiewe
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

passiv-aggressiva
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

passiv - aggressiv
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of passive-aggressive

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE»

The term «passive-aggressive» is regularly used and occupies the 57.268 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Regularly used
74
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «passive-aggressive» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of passive-aggressive
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «passive-aggressive».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «passive-aggressive» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «passive-aggressive» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about passive-aggressive

EXAMPLES

6 QUOTES WITH «PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word passive-aggressive.
1
Maria Bamford
I was raised in Duluth, Minnesota, where you never say that you're cold, or that you're suffering, and you listen politely to people, even if you disagree with them completely. Then you say passive-aggressive things later.
2
Sara Bareilles
I think I have some anger-management issues, and they end up coming out in these passive-aggressive songs that sound happy.
3
Alanis Morissette
Canada has a passive-aggressive culture, with a lot of sarcasm and righteousness. That went with my weird messianic complex. The ego is a fascinating monster. I was taught from a young age that I had to serve, so that turned into me thinking I had to save the planet.
4
Mallory Ortberg
In the hands of a passive-aggressive person who wants to abdicate responsibility for things, texting is a great tool. You can really go nuts.
5
Michaela Watkins
I realize I love crazy ladies. Of course I don't like to think of myself as one, but maybe I am, too. I dunno. I'm always drawn to them; I think it's because I'm attracted to people who aren't in the business of people-pleasing: saying what they really think, not passive-aggressive at all.
6
Scott Weiss
Feedback for leaders is often nuanced and difficult to deliver. That said, hearing you are passive-aggressive from 10 different people described 10 different ways becomes hard to ignore.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE»

Discover the use of passive-aggressive in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to passive-aggressive and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Living with the Passive-Aggressive Man: Coping with Hidden ...
But armed with this book, you can avoid the bumpy landings.
Scott Wetzler, 2011
2
Overcoming Passive-Aggression: How to Stop Hidden Anger from ...
In Overcoming Passive-Aggression, Dr. Tim Murphy and Loriann Hoff Oberlin provide an in-depth look at a topic we've all faced but haven't always recognized: Hidden anger.
Tim Murphy Ph.D., Loriann Oberlin, 2013
3
Blindsided: Recognizing and Dealing With Passive-Aggressive ...
The goal of this book is to raise the awareness of employees who work for passive-aggressive men and women so that they can begin to understand the dynamics of a passive-aggressive work environment.
Paula M. De Angelis, 2009
4
Breaking Passive-Aggressive Cycles
Help for women who are impacted by passive-aggressive men.
Dee Brown, 2010
5
The Angry Smile: The Psychology of Passive-Aggressive ...
The authors of this three-part book have studied the psychology of this behavior for over four decades in both clinical and educational settings.
Jody E. Long, Nicholas James Long, Signe Whitson, 2009
6
Passive-aggression: A Guide for the Therapist, the Patient, ...
Presents cases and theories showing passive-aggression is not just a symptom but is the basis of a real, yet much-ignored, syndrome, Passive-Aggressive Personality Disorder.
Martin Kantor, 2002
7
Lippincott's Manual of Psychiatric Nursing Care Plans
Clients with passive-aggressive personality disorder are resentful and negative and have difficulties in interpersonal relationships and work situations. These clients often have another type of personality disorder, such as borderline, paranoid, ...
Judith M. Schultz, Sheila L. Videbeck, 2009
8
How to Really Love Your Teen
The subconscious purpose of passive-aggressive behavior on the part of a child or teenager is to upset the parents or parent figures and make them angry. Passive-aggressive behavior is a refusal to take responsibility for one's own behavior.
Ross Campbell, 2003
9
Narcissism and the Psychotherapist
INTERPERSONAL CONSEQUENCES Certainly everyone is capable of transient passive-aggressive behavior; surely through the process of reflected appraisals, we all have the capacity to get even. From a countertransferential point of view ...
Sheila Rouslin Welt, William G. Herron, 1990
10
Kaplan & Sadock's Concise Textbook of Clinical Psychiatry
... disorder not otherwise specified is reserved for disorders that do not fit into any of the personality disorder categories described previously. Passive- aggressive personality disorder and depressive personality disorder are now listed ...
Benjamin J. Sadock, Virginia A. Sadock, 2008

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term passive-aggressive is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Rita Watson: When your heart is broken, there's no substitute for …
They will go unanswered and you may feel angry with yourself for not recognizing that he had a passive-aggressive side. 3. Erase all text ... «The Providence Journal, Jul 15»
2
'General Hospital' fan recap: Arrivederci, Port Charles
After a few passive-aggressive remarks about Jakeson's family, Laura flat-out tells Nicolas what she knows. While Nikolas comes across less ... «Entertainment Weekly, Jul 15»
3
Chicago's 'fun couple' ties the knot
The couple first went public with their romance in January 2014 when Swiderski rose to Bomke's defense in a strangely passive-aggressive ... «Robert Feder, Jul 15»
4
Evicting a Family of Urban Raccoons
... not obligated to offer a market-rate tenant a new lease. Take his radio silence as a passive-aggressive “no.” Continue reading the main story ... «New York Times, Jul 15»
5
Editorial: City hall has failed again
At worst, the unexpected news release sounded like a passive-aggressive threat. Council President Andy Terhaar's comments in the news ... «Pensacola News Journal, Jul 15»
6
What we did on our holidays
The tour diary became a document of passive-aggressive messages and bad feeling, until an explosive entry in Inverness that began, "Hero ... «Belfast Telegraph, Jul 15»
7
Nicki Minaj vs Taylor Swift and the etiquette of passive-aggressive
Minaj's tweet is a perfect example of the passive aggressive fighting style people adopt on social media - also known as 'subtweeting'. «The News Hub, Jul 15»
8
For expats, there's nothing like the sweet angst of home
'People wait for a bus in a loose formation that is neither a queue nor a free-for-all, but a sort of passive-aggressive hiatus to see who'll break ... «The Guardian, Jul 15»
9
Her Co-Worker Refuses to Explain Why She's Mad. What Does Dear …
On The Gist, Emily Yoffe of Slate's Dear Prudence column advises a woman on how to deal with tension created by a passive-aggressive ... «Slate Magazine, Jul 15»
10
When Your Pet Is a Four-Legged Peace Broker
It's become some kind of passive-aggressive-not-really-passive way of communicating.” What's more, “I haven't experienced any late-night ... «New York Times, Jul 15»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Passive-Aggressive [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/passive-aggressive>. May 2024 ».
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