mannered
Americanadjective
-
having manners as specified (usually used in combination).
ill-mannered people.
-
having distinctive mannerisms; affected.
a mannered walk.
adjective
-
having idiosyncrasies or mannerisms; affected
mannered gestures
-
of or having mannerisms of style, as in art or literature
-
(in combination) having manners as specified
ill-mannered
Other Word Forms
- nonmannered adjective
- overmannered adjective
Etymology
Origin of mannered
First recorded in 1350–1400, mannered is from the Middle English word manered. See manner 1, -ed 3
Explanation
If someone calls you mannered, it's really not a compliment. It means that the way you act seems artificial or exaggerated. Chill out. Manners are the way we behave in society, how we speak and act with other people. Use mannered to say that someone has exaggerated or unnatural manners. In combination with other words — as in well-mannered or mild-mannered — mannered can take a positive meaning, but when it's used by itself, it's a criticism. Your pretentious classmate is mannered, and an actor's stilted, phony performance is also mannered.
Vocabulary lists containing mannered
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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.
Our hometown—long known as ugly, backward, corrupt, dangerous, ill- mannered, poorly maintained and shoddily dressed—had lured into our yard a world-famous brand.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 28, 2025
The characters are all rigorously mannered, as though they’re mimicking the mannequins in old film strips of 1950s bomb shelters.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 6, 2024
The club further described Kian as "the most genuine, well mannered and unassuming young lad", adding he was a credit to both the club and his parents.
From BBC • Aug. 25, 2024
There’s barely a frame of “Ripley” that isn’t thoroughly considered; it’s conspicuously stylish, but never mannered.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2024
Ambitious people, mannered people, neurotic people, high-society people—the kind of people who make life in the city so interesting—became unbearable to me.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
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.
