manipulative — exercising unscrupulous control or influence over a person or situation
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: exercising unscrupulous control or influence over a person or situation
Pronunciation (IPA): /məˈnɪpjələtɪv/
Example Sentences
- My cat is so manipulative - she pretends to be hungry every time someone enters the kitchen.
- The manipulative salesperson made her buy three things she didn't need.
- He used manipulative language to avoid taking responsibility for the mistake.
manipulative
ADJECTIVE[/məˈnɪpjələtɪv/]
exercising unscrupulous control or influence over a person or situation
He's so manipulative — he twists every conversation to get his way.
Between conservative and innovative minds, manipulation thrives
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word derives from Latin manipulus, meaning 'a handful' or 'something handled by hand.' Originally used neutrally to describe manual handling or manipulation, the term gradually acquired negative connotations, evolving to mean 'skillfully controlling or influencing someone in a deceptive manner.'
Breakdown
manipul- (from Latin manipulus, 'handful; to handle by hand') + -ative (adjective suffix indicating 'tending to' or 'characterized by'). The root relates to manus ('hand') and refers to the action of handling or controlling through manual or clever means.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My cat is so manipulative - she pretends to be hungry every time someone enters the kitchen.”
“The manipulative salesperson made her buy three things she didn't need.”
“He used manipulative language to avoid taking responsibility for the mistake.”
“The movie villain was so manipulative that even the audience felt confused about right and wrong.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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