stand passively

Frequency: 6.56.8 per million words

to be present without taking any action, especially when action is expected

passivelyVERB + passively

Categories:

stand

Examples (10)

  • The crowd stood passively as the injustice unfolded before their eyes.
  • He didn't try to help; he just stood passively by the wall.
  • Instead of intervening, witnesses stood passively and recorded the incident on their phones.
  • The soldiers were ordered to stand passively unless they were directly attacked.
  • It is frustrating to see people standing passively while someone else struggles.
  • She could no longer stand passively aside while her colleagues were being mistreated.
  • The cattle stood passively in the field, oblivious to the coming storm.
  • Government officials have been criticized for standing passively by during the economic crisis.
  • The robots stood passively in the corner, waiting for their next command.
  • We cannot afford to stand passively and wait for a miracle to happen.