nonassertive

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nonassertive People who knew Zhang described him to police as a nonassertive man who avoided conflict and typically acquiesced to his wife. Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2021 Those who saw an assertive ad chose to allocate $7 of the gift card to the brand on average, compared with $14 for those who saw a nonassertive ad. Alina Dizik, WSJ, 16 May 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonassertive
Adjective
  • An upper-level low-pressure system is moving through the region, sending moisture and windy conditions to south-central Arizona.
    Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 22 Oct. 2025
  • However, another low-pressure system will follow it throughout the day, causing a strong, gale-force front to impact the panhandle through Tuesday afternoon.
    Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The former is quietly involving: unhurried, unemphatic, observant.
    Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Nov. 2021
  • The beat is steady and usually unemphatic; the song circles through three chords again and again.
    Jon Pareles, New York Times, 6 July 2018
Adjective
  • Accommodating, which is unassertive and cooperative, prioritizes the needs and preferences of others over one’s own in order to maintain harmony.
    Ellen Choi, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
  • Shy and unassertive, she’s often been overlooked by others and kept to herself.
    Yasmine AlSayyad, The New Yorker, 9 Jan. 2023
Adjective
  • Finish the job by wiping down the fan blades with a damp cloth and a little mild soap.
    Cody Godwin, USA Today, 26 Oct. 2025
  • Medical experts say mild discrepancies between CGMs and fingerstick tests are normal, but large ones can be dangerous.
    Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • After a sluggish performance in the season opener against the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Lakers responded in a big way Friday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves — all without LeBron James, who was sidelined for the second straight game.
    Cole Sullivan, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Sentiment among investors and consumers could sour as uncertainty looms over the economy, some economists warned, noting a feedback loop as participants brace for further pain and the ensuing pullback triggers sluggish economic performance.
    Max Zahn, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • According to the institute statement, which remained ambiguous about the mosquito’s permanence, the insect probably arrived via freight transportation.
    Margherita Bassi, Popular Science, 23 Oct. 2025
  • Perhaps its message is meant to be deliberately ambiguous—or maybe there’s no message at all.
    Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Better check behind every bush and tree, because this movie will convince you every sleepy suburb is a slaughterhouse in the making.
    Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025
  • In the quiet village of Mount Prospect, nestled just northwest of Chicago’s city limits, residents were sheltering from the cold and rain on a sleepy Sunday afternoon watching TV, scrolling through social media and enjoying midday coffee at home.
    Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Selena Gomez as Mabel Mora Gomez earned an Emmy nomination for her role as Mabel, a guarded and sarcastic millennial who strikes up an unexpected friendship with Charles and Oliver.
    Olivia Singh, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Our spirits remain guarded, but high, for this one; the Venice Film Festival crowd seemed to eat it up.
    Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 3 Sep. 2024

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nonassertive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonassertive. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!