passive
gb/pˈæsɪv/ us/pˈæsɪv/
B1
Inglês
~ 8600
Aceções
0 aceções
adjective
B1
property
1
not taking action or initiative
Not doing anything to change a situation; letting other people or things decide what happens.
Padrão de uso:
[someone] is passive (about [something])
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes confuse "passive" with "calm". Someone can be calm but still active and decisive. "Passive" focuses on not taking action or not trying to change things.
Sinónimos
inactive (Describes not doing much or not moving; less focus on letting others decide.)
|
submissive (Stronger and more negative; suggests doing what others want, often without protest.)
Antónimos
active (Suggests taking action and doing things, rather than letting things happen.)
|
assertive (Emphasises clearly expressing needs and opinions instead of staying quiet.)
Colocações
a passive role
|remain passive
|a passive attitude
|passive behaviour
|a passive recipient
|socially passive
Temas
personalities
|social
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Exemplos
- He stayed passive during the meeting and let his colleagues make all the decisions.
- The community was not passive; they organised protests to demand change.
- In group projects she tends to be quite passive and waits for direction from others.
- The government cannot remain passive in the face of such violence.
- He was a passive recipient of help rather than an active participant in his recovery.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- She is very passive and never says what she wants.
- The company was passive and did not answer the customers quickly.
- I was passive and just accepted their plan.
- He took a passive role in the discussion.
- They do not want their children to be passive at school.
adjective
technical
B1
property
2
grammatical form where subject receives action
(Grammar) Showing that something is done to the subject, usually with “be” + past participle, like “The window was broken.”
Padrão de uso:
[verb] is in the passive
Erro comum:
Learners often think "passive" means the same in grammar as in personality. In grammar, it only describes the verb form where the subject receives the action; it does not mean the person is shy or weak.
Sinónimos
passive-voice (Refers even more specifically to the voice of the verb; often used as a compound adjective in teaching.)
Antónimos
active (In grammar, describes the normal pattern where the subject does the action (e.g. "The dog bit the man").)
Colocações
passive voice
|passive form
|passive construction
|put [something] into the passive
|use the passive
|change [something] to the passive
Temas
language
|education
|communication
Exemplos
- In the sentence "The cake was eaten by the children", the verb is in the passive form.
- Teachers often tell students not to overuse the passive voice in academic writing.
- "The report was written yesterday" is an example of a passive construction.
- You should change these sentences from the active to the passive.
- The instructions are mostly written in the passive to sound more formal.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- This sentence is in the passive voice.
- We learned how to change active sentences to the passive.
- In English, the passive is often formed with "be" and a past participle.
- "The car was washed" is a passive sentence.
- Please rewrite this sentence in the passive form.
Nome
technical
B2
entity
3
the passive voice in grammar
(Grammar) The form of verbs where the subject receives the action, like in "The book was written in 2001."
Padrão de uso:
[sentence] is in the passive
Erro comum:
Learners may confuse "the passive" as a noun with "passive" as an adjective for personality. As a noun, it always refers to a grammar form, not to a person’s character.
Sinónimos
passive voice (More explicit term, especially in teaching; often used interchangeably with "the passive".)
Antónimos
active (Short for "the active voice", where the subject does the action (e.g. "The chef cooked the meal").)
Colocações
the passive
|in the passive
|use the passive
|form the passive
|switch to the passive
Temas
language
|education
|communication
Exemplos
- This paragraph uses the passive too much, which makes it hard to read.
- In English, the passive is often used when the actor is unknown or unimportant.
- Try to avoid the passive in short emails and use the active instead.
- We practised changing active sentences into the passive in class today.
- The teacher explained when it is better to choose the passive.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- Some students find the passive difficult.
- We learned when to use the passive in English.
- Many news reports are written in the passive.
- Can you change this sentence into the passive?
- In this exercise, write each sentence in the passive.
adjective
technical
C1
property
4
not powered or amplifying (electronics)
(Electronics) Not using its own power and not making a signal stronger, like a resistor or a basic speaker.
Padrão de uso:
a passive [component/device/system]
Erro comum:
Learners sometimes assume "passive" here means "not working". In electronics, passive components do work, but they do not add energy or amplify the signal.
Sinónimos
unpowered (Stresses not having its own power source, but does not always include the idea of no signal gain.)
Antónimos
active (In electronics, describes components that can control current or provide gain, like transistors or integrated circuits.)
Colocações
passive component
|passive device
|passive circuit
|passive filter
|passive sensor
Temas
technology
|science
Exemplos
- A resistor is a classic example of a passive component.
- The microphone is passive and needs an external preamp for amplification.
- Passive filters are simpler and cheaper, but they cannot provide gain.
- The system uses passive sensors connected to a central processing unit.
- We replaced the active circuit with a passive network to reduce power consumption.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- A resistor is a passive device in a circuit.
- This is a passive sensor, so it needs no extra power.
- The engineer chose a passive filter for the design.
- Passive components do not make the signal stronger.
- The circuit uses only passive parts like resistors and capacitors.
adjective
technical
B2
property
5
involving little active control or trading
(Business/finance) Not making many changes or decisions, for example in investing; just following a simple plan over a long time.
Padrão de uso:
passive [investing/strategy/management]
Erro comum:
Learners may think "passive investing" means lazy or careless. In finance, it usually refers to a deliberate strategy of low trading and low costs, not a lack of thought.
Sinónimos
hands-off (More informal; suggests little day-to-day involvement or control.)
Antónimos
active (In investing or management, means making many decisions and frequent changes, often trying to beat the market or tightly control operations.)
Colocações
passive investing
|passive fund
|passive investor
|passive strategy
|passive management
Temas
business
|money
|finance
Exemplos
- Many people prefer passive investing through low-cost index funds.
- The company has taken a passive approach to managing its real estate assets.
- A passive fund tracks a market index instead of trying to beat it.
- She described herself as a passive investor who rarely changes her portfolio.
- The board criticised the CEO’s passive management style during the crisis.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- Passive investing is popular with small investors.
- A passive fund usually follows a stock index.
- He is a passive investor and does not trade often.
- They use a passive strategy and keep fees low.
- The boss has a passive style and does not check every detail.
adjective
technical
C1
property
6
chemically inactive or unreactive
(Chemistry) Not reacting, or reacting very slowly, often because a thin layer on the surface protects the material.
Padrão de uso:
a passive [metal/surface/state]
Erro comum:
Learners may confuse "passive" here with "passive" for people. In science, it only means low chemical reactivity, not a personality trait.
Sinónimos
inert (General scientific term for something that does not react; not limited to surfaces that have become passive.)
Antónimos
reactive (Describes substances that react easily or quickly with other chemicals.)
Colocações
passive metal
|passive state
|become passive
|passive surface
|passive layer
Temas
science
|technology
Exemplos
- Stainless steel is relatively passive in many environments because of its oxide layer.
- The metal surface becomes passive when exposed to air, which slows further corrosion.
- In this solution, aluminium is passive and does not react quickly.
- The experiment showed how a passive layer can protect the underlying material.
- Once the electrode turns passive, the current drops sharply.
Exemplos para aprendentes
- This metal is passive and does not rust easily.
- The surface became passive after a thin film formed.
- In this liquid, the metal stays passive.
- A passive layer can protect the metal below it.
- Some metals are active, and some are passive.
Gramática
Forma de dicionário
passive
IPA
GB/pˈæsɪv/
US/pˈæsɪv/
Sílabas e acento
pass - ive (2 sílabas)
Stress on 1st syllable (pass)
Formas da palavra
Adjective
- Base: passive
Noun
- Base: passive
- Plural: passives
Família de palavras
Expressões
in the passive
1/ˈɪn ðə pˈæsɪv/
fixed phrase
technical
using the passive grammatical form
Using the passive form of a verb, where the subject receives the action, not does it.
Exemplos
- These sentences are written in the passive and should be changed to the active.
- In this unit we practise writing instructions in the passive.
passive euthanasia
1/pˈæsɪv jˌuθənˈeɪʒə/
fixed phrase
formal
allowing death by stopping treatment
Letting a very ill person die by stopping treatment or not starting new treatment, instead of doing something active to cause death.
Exemplos
- The court debated whether passive euthanasia should be legal in certain cases.
- Doctors must follow strict rules when considering passive euthanasia.
passive house
1/pˈæsɪv hˈaʊs/
fixed phrase
technical
very low-energy building standard
A building that is made so well insulated and airtight that it needs very little energy to heat or cool.
Exemplos
- They built a passive house to cut their energy bills.
- Passive house standards require excellent insulation and airtight construction.
passive income
1/pˈæsɪv ˈɪŋkˌʌm/
fixed phrase
regular earnings with little active work
Money you receive regularly without working a lot for it each time, for example from rent or investments.
Exemplos
- He hopes to build enough passive income to retire early.
- Online courses and rental properties can both create passive income.
passive resistance
1/pˈæsɪv ɹɪzˈɪstəns/
fixed phrase
formal
non-violent refusal to cooperate
A way of fighting against something by not obeying or not helping, but without using violence.
Exemplos
- The movement used passive resistance instead of violent protest.
- Passive resistance included strikes, boycotts, and peaceful marches.
passive smoking
1/pˈæsɪv smˈoʊkɪŋ/
fixed phrase
breathing other people’s cigarette smoke
Breathing in smoke from other people’s cigarettes when you are near them, even if you do not smoke.
Exemplos
- Passive smoking can cause serious health problems in children.
- The new law aims to protect workers from passive smoking in bars and restaurants.
passive smoking
1/pˈæsɪv smˈoʊkɪŋ/
fixed phrase
breathing others’ smoke
Breathing smoke from other people’s cigarettes.
Exemplos
- Passive smoking can increase health risks for children.
- The new law was meant to reduce passive smoking in workplaces.
- She worries about passive smoking when people smoke near the door.
passive voice
1/pˈæsɪv vˈɔɪs/
fixed phrase
technical
the grammar pattern of passive verbs
The way we write or say a sentence when the subject receives the action, like "The car was stolen" instead of "Someone stole the car."
Exemplos
- Try to reduce the use of the passive voice in your essay.
- "The bill was approved" is written in the passive voice.
passive-aggressive
1/pˈæsɪv əɡɹˈɛsɪv/
fixed phrase
informal
showing anger in an indirect way
Showing anger or dislike in a quiet, indirect way, for example by ignoring someone or doing things very slowly, instead of speaking honestly.
Exemplos
- His email was so passive-aggressive that no one wanted to reply.
- Leaving dirty dishes in the sink on purpose was a passive-aggressive move.