not active; submissive 被动的; 消极的: play a passive role in a marriage 在婚姻中扮演被动的角色 * passive obedience, acceptance 消极的服从﹑ 接受 * passive smoking, ie breathing in fumes from tobacco being smoked by others 被动吸烟（吸进他人喷出的烟）. 
showing no interest, initiative or forceful qualities 冷淡的; 不主动的: a passive audience 无精打采的听众 * He had a passive expression on his face. 他脸上有一种漠然的表情. 
of the form of a verb used when the grammatical subject is affected by the action of the verb, as in Her leg was broken and He was bitten by a dog 被动的, 被动语态的（如Her leg was broken和He was bitten by a dog两句中的动词形式）: a passive sentence 被动句. Cf 参看 active.> passive n [sing] (also ,passive `voice) (grammar) passive(3) form of a verb (phrase) or sentence 动词被动形式; 被动句; 被动语态: In the sentence `He was seen there', `was seen' is in the passive. 在He was seen there句中的was seen是被动形式. Cf 参看 active voice (active).
passively adv.
passiveness (also passivity / pA5sIvEtI; pA`sIvEtI/) n [U] state or quality of being passive(1,2) 消极; 被动; 无兴趣; 冷淡.
# ,passive re`sistance resistance to an enemy who has occupied one's country, or to a government, by refusing to co-operate or obey orders 消极抵抗.