submissive
sub·miss·ive/səbˈmɪsɪv/adjective, noun
submissive is spelled S-U-B-M-I-S-S-I-V-E: 10 letters and 3 syllables (sub·miss·ive). It appears 1.8 times per million words in written English, the 20,906th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, submissive means “Meekly obedient or passive; obsequious” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in submissive?
| Letters | 10: S-U-B-M-I-S-S-I-V-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: sub·miss·ive |
| In writing | 1.8 times per million words; the 20,906th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is submissive?
Submissive appears 1.8 times per million words in written English, the 20,906th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce submissive?
- US /səbˈmɪsɪv/
Submissive has 3 syllables, split sub·miss·ive in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-submissive.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-NaomiAmethyst-submissive.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with submissive?
4 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as submissive from its last stressed vowel (/ɪsɪv/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of submissive
- more submissive comparative
- most submissive superlative
- submissives plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does submissive mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Meekly obedient or passive; obsequious.
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 movemen
- 2
Desiring or engaging in sexual submission.
noun
- 1
One who submits to a dominating partner in BDSM practices.
- 2
rareOne who submits.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Submissive in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | soumis , passif, soumise |
| German | submissiv, unterwürfig, demütig, fügsam, gefügig, gehorsam |
| Portuguese | submisso, submissivo |
| Spanish | sumiso , sumisa |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.