mannerism
Americannoun
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a habitual or characteristic manner, mode, or way of doing something; distinctive quality or style, as in behavior or speech.
He has an annoying mannerism of tapping his fingers while he talks. They copied his literary mannerisms but always lacked his ebullience.
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marked or excessive adherence to an unusual or a particular manner, especially if affected.
Natural courtesy is a world apart from snobbish mannerism.
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(usually initial capital letter) a style in the fine arts developed principally in Europe during the 16th century, chiefly characterized by a complex perspectival system, elongation of forms, strained gestures or poses of figures, and intense, often strident color.
noun
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a distinctive and individual gesture or trait; idiosyncrasy
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(often capital) a principally Italian movement in art and architecture between the High Renaissance and Baroque periods (1520–1600) that sought to represent an ideal of beauty rather than natural images of it, using characteristic distortion and exaggeration of human proportions, perspective, etc
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adherence to a distinctive or affected manner, esp in art or literature
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of mannerism
Explanation
Does someone you know always shrug in a particular way or say "You know what I mean?" at the end of every sentence? Well, that's a mannerism, a habitual gesture or way of speaking. Generally, we don't use then term mannerism as a critical term for our friends' behavior, but when applied as a term of art criticism, it can be a negative thing. If a critic talks about a writer's mannerisms, for example, it's probably intended as an insult — suggesting they're writing in a lazy or clichéd way. However, Mannerism, with a capital "M," refers to a specific 16th-century Italian style of painting known for its artificial (as opposed to naturalistic) effects.
Vocabulary lists containing mannerism
A Long Way Gone
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"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak, Part Eight
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"Face Facts: The Science of Facial Expressions" and "Silent Language"
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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.
So much attention is on their similarities in their swings and other mannerism, but the needle and the trash talking is not to be overlooked.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 16, 2023
That coyness persists through the second half, with a series of suspended conversations and delayed reckonings that strain for honesty, only to bog down in the familiar language of art-house mannerism.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 26, 2023
Gionet’s attorney Zachary Thornley told the judge that “Let’s go” was merely a speech mannerism of Gionet’s, and that he had no plans to enter the Capitol that day.
From Washington Post • Jan. 10, 2023
But neither actress leans into mannerism or quirk; neither showboats.
From New York Times • Nov. 16, 2022
He shrugged, a funny little one-shouldered shrug, a mannerism he and his sister had in common.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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.
