Passive-aggressive behavior is a pattern of indirectly expressing negative feelings instead of openly addressing them. It is a way of expressing negative emotions, such as anger or annoyance, indirectly instead of directly. Passive-aggressive people may hint at their feelings without expressing them directly. They may say one thing and do another, or do something that seems kind on the surface but is opposite to another persons wishes. Some red flags that someone is being passive-aggressive include:

• Saying one thing and doing another
• Complaining about being misunderstood
• Being sarcastic or dismissive
• Avoiding direct communication
• Procrastinating or being forgetful
• Giving the silent treatment
• Making backhanded compliments
• Blaming others for their problems

Passive-aggressive behavior can occur in spoken and unspoken ways. It can be experienced when someone is gaslighting you and being emotionally manipulative. Passive-aggressive behavior is anything that avoids direct conflict but still expresses negative emotions. If you feel like something is off or if youre feeling personally attacked and it happens again and again, thats a good sign its passive-aggressive behavior.