How to Use passive-aggressive in a Sentence

passive-aggressive

adjective
  • The eye-rolls, the silent sighs, the passive-aggressive chats about the younger employees.
    — Bryan Robinson, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
  • You might be stuck playing 18 holes of passive-aggressive putt-putt.
    — Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
  • Someone could be acting passive-aggressive, vague or strangely hard to read.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
  • That old high school pal who always makes passive-aggressive comments about your outfit choices?
    — Korin Miller, Women's Health, 20 June 2023
  • These passive-aggressive levers were used to great effect this week in one of the only genuinely thrilling episodes in quite a long time.
    — Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2024
  • All this passive-aggressive, hard smile and veneer and everything.
    — Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2023
  • And at just $15, no more passive-aggressive comments from your travel partner about putting your shoes back on.
    — Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2025
  • Upside Down Face = Same as above, but even more passive-aggressive.
    — Jennifer Jolly, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2023
  • His folks often behave in a passive-aggressive manner toward me.
    — Amy Dickinson, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
  • Work emails can be the most fraught, with 91% saying that their co-workers are sometimes passive-aggressive over email.
    — Chandra Steele, PCMAG, 20 Apr. 2023
  • That passive-aggressive email ruined your mood, but the feedback about your project was pretty accurate.
    — Jenna Ryu, SELF, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Ooh, there’s very little that burns my biscuits more than a passive-aggressive social media comment.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 13 May 2025
  • My new thing is teaching people my technique for building wealth through passive-aggressive income.
    — Riane Konc, The New Yorker, 29 July 2024
  • Nearly 30, she’s been beaten down by a passive-aggressive mother and a cringing cousin all her life.
    — Sarah Schutte, National Review, 12 Mar. 2023
  • And that, passive-aggressive or not, is a properly mild punishment.
    — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 28 May 2026
  • This could be along the lines of a passive-aggressive email or a coworker misunderstanding your tone.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026
  • No one appreciates passive-aggressive quips so keep them to a minimum.
    — Lisa Stardust, refinery29.com, 14 Feb. 2025
  • The arrangement leads to no shortage of passive-aggressive tension.
    — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
  • Silence when a response is warranted can be a sign of passive-aggressive behavior.
    — Chris Westfall, Forbes, 19 Sep. 2024
  • Some are active and vocal in their disagreement; others take a more passive-aggressive approach.
    — Peter Follows, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
  • My family is very passive-aggressive.
    — Eric Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 18 Feb. 2026
  • Hutch is no passive-aggressive provocateur.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 13 Aug. 2025
  • But for most people, the worst consequence is a passive-aggressive reminder to follow all crew instructions.
    — Boutayna Chokrane, Wired News, 12 Apr. 2025
  • Is this the same woman who has a problem with Priscila but won’t say it to her face and also asks everyone a passive-aggressive question?
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 22 Apr. 2024
  • Others took a more direct approach, suggesting the man respond with his own passive-aggressive message.
    — Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
  • Also, put aside your passive-aggressive attitude.
    — Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2026
  • My mother-in-law has always been passive-aggressive, critical and mixing into our business.
    — Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 4 Jan. 2025
  • Now, the atmosphere at home is tense, with Chloe barely speaking and making passive-aggressive comments.
    — Ashley Vega, People.com, 23 June 2025
  • This might look like sending a passive-aggressive email or doing something small to block someone’s goals, like regurgitating a peer’s idea as your own.
    — Jade Thomas, CNBC, 29 July 2024
  • The Redditor notes that the friend became a bit passive-aggressive in their correspondence.
    — Virginia Chamlee, People.com, 25 May 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'passive-aggressive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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