manipulative
Americanadjective
-
influencing or attempting to influence the behavior or emotions of others for one’s own purposes.
a manipulative boss.
-
of or relating to manipulation of objects or parts of the body; serving to manipulate.
spinal manipulative therapy.
noun
Other Word Forms
- manipulatively adverb
Etymology
Origin of manipulative
First recorded in 1815–20; manipulat(e) ( def. ) + -ive ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Imagine if, in “Evita,” audiences members were invited to sing back up on the balcony as Eva Perón belts out “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina,” accompanying her in her last manipulative hurrah.
From Los Angeles Times
That’s manipulative and, given that you are now divorced, this seems like another way to have a financial and/or emotional hold over you.
From MarketWatch
The aspiring floppy-haired filmmaker could be sensitive but manipulative, loveable yet irritating.
From BBC
"He was a mastermind criminal and highly manipulative," she said.
From BBC
You don’t have to say, “You are manipulative and controlling,” or “You are high maintenance and don’t pay your way,” or, in this case, “You leave a trail of dust bunnies in your wake.”
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
