compliant / submissive
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submissive
Describes a person who is willing to submit or yield to another person's will without resistance.
Nach langem Zureden wurde er schließlich gefügig und stimmte dem Plan zu.
After a lot of persuasion, he finally became submissive and agreed to the plan.
The adjective 'gefügig' (compliant/submissive) is closely related to the verb 'sich fügen' (to submit/yield), which means 'sich unterordnen' (to subordinate oneself) or 'nachgeben' (to give in). Someone who is 'gefügig' submits to another person's will.
Er fügte sich widerwillig der Entscheidung seines Chefs.
He reluctantly submitted to his boss's decision.
The word 'gefügig' (compliant/submissive) has a strongly negative connotation. It does not simply describe cooperation, but rather submission that is often seen as weakness or as the result of coercion.
Der Chef wünscht sich keine kritischen Mitarbeiter, sondern nur gefügige Angestellte.
The boss does not want critical employees, only submissive staff.
The construction 'jemanden gefügig machen' (to make someone compliant) is a very common fixed expression. It means to make a person obey through pressure or manipulation.
Er versuchte, die Zeugen mit Drohungen gefügig zu machen.
He tried to make the witnesses compliant with threats.
to force
'zwingen' and 'gefügig' are connected because in both cases it is about submission to another person's will. 'zwingen' describes the action: someone applies pressure so that another person does something. 'gefügig' describes more the state of a person who gives in and submits. In the form 'jemanden gefügig machen' (to make someone compliant), it comes very close to 'zwingen', but sounds more like control over a person. The words can be confused because both have to do with power and a lack of resistance. 'zwingen' is a verb for the concrete action; 'gefügig' describes how someone behaves or is made to behave.
Der Trainer will die Kinder nicht gefügig machen, sondern ihnen Mut geben.
The coach does not want to make the children submissive, but to give them courage.
Niemand darf sie zwingen, ein Dokument zu unterschreiben.
No one may force her to sign a document.