late 14c., in grammatical sense (opposed to active), Old French passif "suffering, undergoing hardship" (14c.) and directly from Latin passivus "capable of feeling or suffering," from pass-, past participle stem of pati "to suffer" (see passion). Meaning "not active" is first recorded late 15c.; sense of "enduring suffering without resistance" is from 1620s. Related: Passively. Passive resistance first attested 1819 in Scott's "Ivanhoe," used throughout 19c.; re-coined by Gandhi c. 1906 in South Africa. Passive-aggressive with reference to behavior is attested by 1971.
雙語例句
1. Even passive acceptance of the regime was a kind of collaboration.
即使被動接受該政權(quán)也是一種通敵行為。
來自柯林斯例句
2. She hates playing the sweet, passive women that audiences identify her with.
她討厭扮演那些漂亮可愛、消極被動的女人，觀眾們已把她定型為這類角色。
來自柯林斯例句
3. He played a passive role in the relationship.
他在他們的關(guān)系中處于被動地位。
來自《權(quán)威詞典》
4. In spite of my efforts the boy remained passive.
盡管我努力,那男孩還是不起勁.
來自《現(xiàn)代英漢綜合大詞典》
5. We should translate this sentence in passive voice.