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mannered

mannered

47 7.9
Actions like speech or writing that do not seem natural
  • adjective
  • /ˈmænərd/
translation icon : afectado
  • Next to her sits Ronald Clifford, a well-mannered fifteen-year-old African American.

Examples

  • It's important for children to be mannered in social situations, as it helps them make a good impression.

  • And for them to gain access to it, they simply need to be calm, well mannered, look up to you for guidance and direction and they can have it.

  • - Well, it's always a pleasure to meet a well-mannered young man.

  • Anyone in this well-mannered city might very well be one of them.

  • But the monk's efforts paid off, and the prince was soon a decently mannered little boy.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • His round glasses gave him the air of a young, mild-mannered professor.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • He was, however, extremely hard working, well mannered and could be personally kind and generous.

  • Adults find him well-mannered, eager to work hard, and easy to work with.

    Academic text (1992)
  • Emma was a neat, well-mannered child who no longer hid in closets.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • The nameless man was appreciative and cordial, well-mannered and full of the right things to say.

    Fiction book (1995)

Synonyms

unnatural
vsmannered
10 4.9

Acting or speaking in a forced way to impress others

focuses on artificial mannerisms without necessarily aiming to impress
mannerist
vsmannered
8.9

Having exaggerated gestures and an unnatural style

is similar but less exaggerated and more generally artificial
mannerable
vsmannered
  • Archaic
9.9

Showing an unnatural, forced way of behaving

describes specific behavior or speech rather than a general character trait

Antonyms

71 4.8

A quality that shows something is real and believable to people

31 6.2

Acting on a sudden feeling without planning or thought

Compounds

19 3.4

A person who is gentle, calm, and not aggressive

10 2.9

Polite and respectful to other people

1 3.3

Not polite when you are with other people

How Affected

affected
7.5
mannered
47 7.9
stilted
9 7.4

Surface Forms

mannered positive
mannerer comparative
manneredest superlative

Morphology

mannered = manner (semi-transparent) = manner + ed

Formed by adding the adjective-forming suffix '-ed' to the noun 'manner', so the morphological link is clear but the specific negative sense 'artificial/affected' is not fully predictable from the base alone.

Etymology

Mannered comes from manner, which means 'way' or 'way of behaving'. So something mannered is done in an obvious, often 'not natural' way, which is why it feels artificial or insincere.