Dictionary

passive-aggressive en · ADJ

Etymology

From 1940s, after passive aggression.

Meanings

1. Showing passive, sometimes obstructionist resistance to following authoritative instructions in interpersonal or occupational situations.
2. Showing covert hostility, intending to cause annoyance or to humiliate, while maintaining a transparent (to the recipient) veneer of politeness.
   • Curt texts, unanswered emails, Facebook statuses declaring “someone” to be an idiot, the notorious subtweet; if you can communicate with it, people can be passive aggressive with it. No doubt there were frosty telegrams in centuries gone by. 2015 February 19, Dean Burnett, “OK, don't read this article about passive-aggressive behaviour. Honestly, it's fine”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 20 Oct 2022:
   • “I Love Lisa” opens with one of my favorite underappreciated running jokes from The Simpsons: the passive-aggressive, quietly contentious relationship of radio jocks Bill and Marty, whose mindless happy talk regularly gives way to charged exchanges that betray the simmering resentment and disappointment perpetually lingering just under the surface of their relationship. 2012 August 5, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “I Love Lisa” (season 4, episode 15; originally aired 02/11/1993)”, in AV Club, archived from the original on 29 Mar 2013:

Forms

Coordinates

passive-dependent

Deriveds

passive-aggressiveness · passive-aggressively · aggressor · pass-agg · paggro · passive-aggression · passive-aggressivist · passive-aggressive personality disorder

Relateds

resistance

Translations (17)

it passivo-aggressivo (obstructionism via taking no action) · sv passivt aggressiv (obstructionism via taking no action) · tr pasif-agresif (obstructionism via taking no action) · fi passiivis-aggressiivinen (obstructionism via taking no action) · ru пасси́вно-агресси́вный (obstructionism via taking no action) · id agesif pasif (obstructionism via taking no action) · de passiv-aggressiv (obstructionism via taking no action) · el παθητικοεπιθετικός (obstructionism via taking no action) · fr passif-agressif (obstructionism via taking no action) · sv passivaggressiv (obstructionism via taking no action) · sk pasívne agresívny (obstructionism via taking no action) · es pasivo-agresivo (obstructionism via taking no action) · tr pasif agresif (obstructionism via taking no action) · es pasivamente agresivo (obstructionism via taking no action) · cmn 陰陽怪氣 /阴阳怪气 (obstructionism via taking no action) · da passiv-agressiv (obstructionism via taking no action) · id judes tersirat (obstructionism via taking no action)