passive-aggressive

[ pas-iv-uh-gres-iv ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

denoting or pertaining to a personality type or behavior marked by the expression of negative emotions in passive, indirect ways, as through manipulation or noncooperation:
a passive-aggressive employee who often misses deadlines.

passive-aggressive

psychoanal of or relating to a personality that harbours aggressive emotions while behaving in a calm or detached manner

First recorded in 1945–50

In a rather passive aggressive letter, the House Minority Leader wrote.

When the persistent passive-aggressive Nice Guy act fails, do they step it up to elaborate Steve-Urkel-esque stalking and stunts?

Rumors, innuendo and passive aggressive jokes—those are huge distractions.

His fits were passive-aggressive: He would claim to be sick, refuse to leave his TriBeCa apartment, or simply not show up.

She spends her time carrying out a guerilla war of passive-aggressive acts against him that escalates with each passing day.

Yes, yes; that is the diagnosis, "personality pattern disturbance with schizoid features and passive-aggressive tendencies."

Lee has to be diagnosed as 'personality pattern disturbance with schizoid features and passive-aggressive tendencies.'

"Passive-aggressive tendencies" are fairly common in occurrence, are they not amongst people?

It is either a passive-dependent child or an aggressive child, and there is a passive-aggressive child.

Their passive-aggressive instincts are intact and on autopilot.

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