ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Submissive

Definition, Meaning & Examples

Pronunciation /səbˈmɪsɪv/ · Part of speech adjective

Quick meaning: Submissive is an adjective meaning Meekly obedient or passive; obsequious.

Meaning

Meekly obedient or passive; obsequious.

More Meanings

  1. (BDSM) Desiring or engaging in sexual submission.
  2. (BDSM) One who submits to a dominating partner in BDSM practices.
  3. (rare) One who submits.

Example Sentences

Once oppression has been internalised, little force is needed to keep us submissive.
These "submissives" continued to go along as near as possible following the old routine of their lives and did no overt act to annoy any of the parties of whites that persisted in traveling through their country.
The powerful managers for government were not sufficiently submissive to the pleasure of the possessors of immediate and personal favour, sometimes from a confidence in their own strength natural and acquired; sometimes from a fear of offending their friends, and weakening that lead in the country, which gave them a consideration independent of the court.
If the human being who answers these tendencies assumes a submissive behavior, in essence a lowering of head and shoulders, wavering glance, absence of all preparations for attack, general weakening of muscle tonus, and hesitancy in movement, the movements of attempt at mastery become modified into attempts at the more obvious swagger, strut and glare of triumph.

Word Forms

Synonyms for submissive

Depending on context, synonyms include biddable, docile, meek, slavish, timid, obedient.

Antonyms for submissive

Common opposites include dominant, domineering, rebellious, dominatrix, dominator, dom.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include subservient, subordinate, slavish, compliant, servile, meek.

Related Dictionary Tools

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.