Supine
[SOO-pine]
Part of speech: adjective
Origin: Latin
1.
(of a person) lying face upwards.
2.
Failing to act or protest as a result of moral weakness or indolence.
Examples of Supine in a sentence
"My perfect Sunday includes French toast and a supine position on the couch."
"The mayor was criticized for remaining supine through accusations of bribery."
About Supine
You might have heard the phrase "I'm not going to take this lying down" to refer to standing up to some kind of injustice. If you don't take action, then you can be accused of being supine, which means failing to act, or quite literally, lying down.
Did you Know?
The word supine comes from the Latin word "supinus," meaning lying down with the face upwards. The Latin word has been incorporated into many languages, while holding onto the same definition: "supi" (Catalan), "supino" (Italian), "supino" (Portuguese), and "supino" (Spanish).
