Svengali
5
9.9
- noun
- /svɛnˈɡɑli/
- Offensive
:
manipulador
- He's the svengali to the stars who sits in Andy Murray's VIP box, masterminded the Spice Girls, and turned Pop Idol into a $15 billion global brand.
- Svengali-like
- Svengali's hypnotic influence
In addition, these may also be the cruel Svengali parents who scream and berate their children when nobody is looking.
- In addition, these may also be the cruel Svengali parents who scream and berate their children when nobody is looking.
Examples
-
From day one, this airy-fairy doctor had this Svengali control over her.
-
He's got this hold on her, like Svengali.
-
And it's an open secret that Glen Ballard may have been her Svengali.
Blog text (31) -
The Mandarins' Svengali-like power over the donors was the major source of their power.
Blog text (33) -
He thinks that you are some kind of Svengali... ...and that you're gonna hypnotize me into your cult.
-
The artist was seen as a Svengali, influencing young talents to adopt his controversial style.
-
In the story, the politician acted as a Svengali, manipulating his followers for personal gain.
-
Many see her as a Svengali, pulling the strings behind the scenes of the organization.
Synonyms
24
6.2
A person who controls people in a clever or unfair way to get what they want
9
7.9
A person who secretly controls other people and their actions
1
7.2
A person who puts someone into a relaxed, focused trance using words
1
7.5
A person who makes other people believe things by lying or using force
1
8.2
A person who secretly controls other people from behind the scenes
1
9.9
A person who uses special techniques to make someone fall into a trance
A person who secretly controls people from behind the scenes
A person who uses a calm voice and slow movements to put people into a sleep-like state
How Controlling
Surface Forms
Etymology
Svengali comes from a character in the novel 'Trilby' who used his skill to control a young singer and treated her like a puppet. So a Svengali now means someone who secretly 'controls' or 'manipulates' another person, often for 'bad' reasons.