as in meek
not talking or behaving in a loud and confident way
a modest, unassertive person an unassertive manner
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Recent Examples of unassertive
Shy and unassertive, she’s often been overlooked by others and kept to herself.
—
Yasmine Alsayyad, The New Yorker, 9 Jan. 2023
After a time, Patterson’s play-it-down-the-middle approach feels less like the remembrances of a Renaissance man and more like evasive, unassertive hedging.
—Mark Athitakis, Washington Post, 6 June 2022
The sun, only rarely in evidence behind gray clouds, set quickly and bade us an unassertive farewell.
—Washington Post, 1 Jan. 2022
My own thoughts have been along the line of weak, unassertive, super humble and timid.
—Glenna Christensen, idahostatesman, 14 June 2018
Meryl Streep stars as Post owner Katherine Graham, an unassertive socialite who normally follows the journalistic lead of her editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks, playing it too cute).
—John Powers, Vogue, 13 Dec. 2017
Yasmine Alsayyad, The New Yorker, 9 Jan. 2023
After a time, Patterson’s play-it-down-the-middle approach feels less like the remembrances of a Renaissance man and more like evasive, unassertive hedging.
—Mark Athitakis, Washington Post, 6 June 2022
The sun, only rarely in evidence behind gray clouds, set quickly and bade us an unassertive farewell.
—Washington Post, 1 Jan. 2022
My own thoughts have been along the line of weak, unassertive, super humble and timid.
—Glenna Christensen, idahostatesman, 14 June 2018
Meryl Streep stars as Post owner Katherine Graham, an unassertive socialite who normally follows the journalistic lead of her editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks, playing it too cute).
—John Powers, Vogue, 13 Dec. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unassertive
Adjective
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Each tree has promised itself right up from the ground, branches full of dying... Elegy Written In A City Cemetery Sina Queyras Somebody left the world last night, and last, and last, and last: wild is the glower of wind, and words too thin, too meek to shelter.—
Max Ufberg,
hazlitt.net,
10 Jan. 2025
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He was supposed to be a meek guy who doesn’t speak up.—
Josh Weiss,
Forbes,
6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The Type 2 sits among some of the more humble and accessible classics.—
Trinity Francis,
Forbes,
23 Jan. 2025
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Even Bend feels changed, its population surging, its character shifting, the way humble towns do when they are discovered by outsiders.—
John Branch,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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In that case, Fox made a modest admission that incorrect claims had been made, but Dominion Voting Systems was able to reveal the size of the settlement — the more telling concession.—
David Folkenflik,
NPR,
21 Jan. 2025
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Two excellent current QBs with modest sprint speed are Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
21 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Woods stars as Louise, who transforms from timid wallflower into the famed burlesque dancer known as Gypsy Rose Lee.—
Kristen Tauer,
WWD,
20 Jan. 2025
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The video introduces several of GRRR's residents, including George, a timid golden retriever who was abused and is now slowly building his confidence around people.—
Lydia Patrick,
Newsweek,
17 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near unassertive
Cite this Entry
“Unassertive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unassertive. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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