passivity
/pæˈsɪvəti/ (bre, ipa) · /pæˈsɪvəti/ (ame, ipa) · /pa-ˈsi-və-tē/ (ame, mw)
passivity — noun
1. the way of behaving in which a person allows things to happen around them and do
the way of behaving in which a person allows things to happen around them and does not try to change events or push back against difficulty.
The teacher worried about the passivity of her students during the class debate.
passivity of [group] in [event]
Isabela's passivity in arguments often left her family making decisions for her.
passivity in [situation] as personal trait
Critics blamed the politicians' passivity in the face of rising poverty.
Years of bullying had taught Daichi a deep passivity that worried his parents.
The film shows the dangers of public passivity when leaders abuse their power.
- inactivity
broader; covers physical stillness, not just lack of resistance
- submissiveness
stronger sense of yielding to another's authority
- apathy
emphasises lack of feeling or interest, not just lack of action
- resignation
passivity from accepting that nothing can change
- activity
general opposite — taking action of any kind
- assertiveness
specifically standing up for oneself or one's views
- resistance
actively pushing back against pressure or force
文法句型
passivity of [person/group]
passivity in the face of [problem]
用法筆記
Frequently used in abstract or critical contexts — psychology, politics, or social commentary. Subject of the passivity is typically a person, group, or wider public, not a thing.