Vocabulary in context
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Submissive
Willing to submit to the will of others; yielding to authority.
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Imagine This
It is hard to be submissive to authority, but being submissive sometimes saves us from big trouble.
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Sounds Like
suhb-MIS-iv
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Looks Like
sub + miss + ive; visually splits into sub- (under) + miss (send) + ive
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Remember This
Sub- means under or less. Examples: submarine (underwater vessel). Subjugate means to bring under control.
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Other Forms
submissivelyadverb
submissivenessnoun
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Connect With
compliant, obedient, deferential, subservient, acquiescent
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Note
Miss- or –miss means to send. Missile is a spear-like object sent as a weapon. Dismiss means to send away.
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Study Deeper
Examples
- The student remained submissive to the teacher's guidance, completing assignments without question.
- In negotiations, he adopted a submissive stance, yielding to others' opinions to reach a consensus.
Synonyms
compliantobedientdeferentialacquiescentmeek
Antonyms
dominantassertivedefiant
Etymology
From Latin submissivus, from sub- meaning 'under' + mittere meaning 'to send'. The suffix -ive forms an adjective.
Mnemonic
Mnemonic: SUB MISS IVE — remember that being submissive means being under (sub) someone else's order and being sent (miss) to yield.
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Whimsicality
nounThe quality or state of being whimsically playful or fanciful; lighthearted imagination that is unpredictable and charmingly odd.
Inconsequential
adjectiveNot important or significant; having little or no effect on the matter at hand.
Aggregate
adjectiveFormed into a mass or whole; considered as a sum of its parts.
Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Compliant
adjectiveWilling to comply with rules, requests, or authority; ready to yield to others' wishes and conform to standards.
Acquiescent
adjectiveReady to agree or approve without protest; compliant.
Abstruse
adjectiveDifficult to understand; obscure or highly complex.
Accidental
adjectiveHappening by chance or without deliberate planning; not intended. In music, it is also a noun for a symbol that temporarily alters a pitch.
Acerbic
adjectiveSharp or biting in tone or taste; caustic or mordant in manner.
Adamant
adjectiveRigid in opinion or purpose; not willing to change one's mind or position.
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