underassertiveness

noun

A tendency toward being underassertive; social timidity.

Scrabble 22
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Meanings

noununderassertiveness (uncountable)
  1. uncountableA tendency toward being underassertive; social timidity.

    While contact offenders had more cognitive distortions and victim empathy distortions, the internet offenders identified more with fictional characters and had increased scores on scales of fantasy and underassertiveness.

    2011, Gráinne Kirwan, The Psychology of Cyber Crime: Concepts and Principles, →ISBN
    2 more examples

    Underassertiveness is a unique type of tranquillity destroyer because we often think that if we just keep our mouths shut, “grin and bear it,” and “turn the other cheek,” we will be better off. True? Absolutely not.

    2001, Archibald Hart, The Anxiety Cure, →ISBN, page 98

    The Internet group had higher rates of socially desirable responding, emotional loneliness, and underassertiveness and lower scores on external locus of control, sexualized attitudes toward children, emotional congruence with children, and empathy distortions with regard to victims of abuse.

    2015, Amy Phenix, Harry M. Hoberman, Sexual Offending: Predisposing Antecedents, Assessments and Management, →ISBN, page 91

Origin

From under- + assertive + -ness.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

underassertiveness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/underassertiveness

MLA

“underassertiveness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/underassertiveness. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “underassertiveness,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/underassertiveness.

Source: underassertiveness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.