Assertive and Subservient

Opposite meaning words

Assertive adjective - Having or showing a bold forcefulness in the pursuit of a goal.

Usage example: some reef fish are assertive in defending their territory

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Subservient is an antonym for assertive.

Subservient adjective - Compliant and obedient to authority.

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Assertive is an antonym for subservient.

In the TV series he's a lot more self-assertive, though still pretty subservient to Mike.

Source: Film / Mike Bassett: England Manager

Cite this Source

Subservient and Assertive. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 14, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/assertive/subservient

Assertive & Subservient. N.p., 2016. Web. 14 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/assertive/subservient>.

Subservient or Assertive. 2016. Accessed August 14, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/assertive/subservient.

Google Ngram Viewer shows how "assertive" and "subservient" have occurred on timeline