passive-aggressive
adjective
denoting or pertaining to a personality type or behavior marked by the expression of negative emotions in passive, indirect ways, as through manipulation or noncooperation.
passive-aggression
-
a word derived from
passive-aggressive.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But unfortunately, we are not so evolved as to bite the hand that feeds, so this horrible age of smartphone passive-aggression rages on.
From Slate ● Mar. 18, 2023
And he might need treatment for anxiety, because avoidance, passive-aggression and fight-picking are pretty classic manifestations.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 9, 2023
As passive-aggression turns to mere aggression, she compares her host’s house to the Cheesecake Factory and calls her a “classist monster.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2021
Despite the festering dysfunction, the Packers went 13-3 last season, meaning that this year they could become the first team to win the Super Bowl out of sheer passive-aggression.
From New York Times ● Aug. 31, 2020
For David Pinner, the miserable protagonist of Nick Laird's Glover's Mistake, the internet facilitates the apotheosis of his passive-aggression.
From The Guardian ● Jan. 15, 2011
