消極的|しょうきょくてきshoukyokuteki

JLPT N2approx.Common
Definitions
  1. na-adjectivenegative; passive; half-hearted; unmotivated
    警察けいさつが医療いりょう事故じこの立件りっけんに消極的しょうきょくてきだ。↗
    The police are reluctant to pursue criminal charges in medical cases.
Conjugation
Plain form消極的(しょうきょくてき)
Polite (desu)消極的です(しょうきょくてきです)
Negative (dewa nai)消極的ではない(しょうきょくてきではない)
polite (dewa arimasen)消極的ではありません(しょうきょくてきではありません)
Past (datta)消極的だった(しょうきょくてきだった)
Past negative (dewa nakatta)消極的ではなかった(しょうきょくてきではなかった)
Te form (de)消極的で(しょうきょくてきで)
Adverbial (ni)消極的に(しょうきょくてきに)
Conditional (nara)消極的なら(しょうきょくてきなら)

Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.

Synonyms & antonyms
  • SynonymネガティブNeutralCommon loanword for negative thinking or a negative take on things; frequent in speech. 「消極的」 is about not acting or engaging proactively.
  • RelatedペシミスティックWrittenWritten loanword meaning 'pessimistic', the outlook of a pessimist. 「消極的」 puts the weight on not taking action or initiative.
  • Related悲観的ひかんてきNeutralNeutral word for a gloomy view of what lies ahead. 「消極的」 focuses mainly on an unproactive attitude or way of acting.
  • Related受動的じゅどうてきWrittenWritten, somewhat academic word for passively receiving things, as in 「受動的な学習」. 「消極的」 carries an evaluative nuance.
  • Related厭世的えんせいてきWrittenWritten word for weariness with life itself — far deeper than pessimism. 「消極的」 mainly means unproactive; it can also mean mere absence, as in 「消極的理由」.
  • Related不活発ふかっぱつNeutralNeutral word for being inactive or sluggish — used of people, bodily functions, markets, discussions. 「消極的」 is about attitude, not liveliness.
  • RelatedパッシブNeutralLoanword for 'passive', used mostly in technical contexts like 「パッシブセンサー」. 「消極的」 is the ordinary word for an unproactive attitude.
  • Related否定的ひていてきNeutralNeutral word for being negative in the sense of disapproving or opposed, as in 「否定的な意見」. 「消極的」 centers on not being proactive.
  • Antonym積極的せっきょくてきNeutralAntonym on the attitude axis: positive and proactive, acting on one's own initiative, where 「消極的」 means holding back.
  • Antonym能動的のうどうてきWrittenWritten antonym on the active–passive axis: acting on one's own initiative, as opposed to the passivity of 「消極的」.

Use 「消極的」 for an unproactive attitude or manner of acting. For negative thinking pick 「ネガティブ」, for a pessimistic outlook 「悲観的」 (in writing 「ペシミスティック」), and for passively receiving 「受動的」. 「厭世的」 goes further: weariness with life itself. The opposites are 「積極的」 and 「能動的」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

Japanese definitions
  1. 内うちに閉じ篭とじこもり控ひかえめで、進すすんで自分じぶんから対象たいしょうに働はたらきかけない様子ようす。行動的こうどうてきでなく後ろ向うしろむきなさま。忌避きひ的てき。
  2. ある性質せいしつや物事ものごとの存在そんざいしないこと。
  3. あることを受容じゅようしないこと。賛成さんせいしないこと。否定的ひていてきな態度たいどであること。
  4. 負ふの数かずに関連かんれんするさま。控除こうじょ的てき。
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also

JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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