To be submissive means to be willing to accept or yield to the authority, will, or control of another person, often without questioning or resisting. It involves a readiness to obey or defer to someone else's decisions, sometimes placing their needs or desires above one's own. Submissiveness can reflect an inward attitude of yielding, not just outward obedience, and may require an active choice or willingness to accept another's leadership or authority. This can manifest in various contexts, such as personal relationships, work, or social settings. In some cases, submissiveness may be linked to trust and respect, while in others, it may imply passivity or meekness. The term can also have specific meanings in BDSM where it refers to consensual power exchange roles.

In summary, being submissive generally means voluntarily conforming to another's authority or influence, often characterized by obedience, yielding, and sometimes humility. This behavior or attitude may be situational or relational, and it depends on the context and the parties involved for its meaning and implications.