manipulative

adjective

ma·​nip·​u·​la·​tive mə-ˈni-pyə-ˌlā-tiv 

-lə-

: of, relating to, or performed by manipulation

Osteopathy emphasizes manipulative techniques to correct abnormalities thought to cause disease and inhibit recovery.

—Carol L. Otis et al.

especially : serving or intended to control or influence others in a deceptive and often unfair or selfish way

a clever and manipulative child

manipulative behavior

Simpleminded as his critics found his ideas and remarks, cynical and manipulative as he may have been in actuality, he seemed to believe every word he said.

—Arthur Miller

manipulatively adverb

manipulativeness noun

Examples of manipulative in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But the reason my face remained (largely) dry was not that certain movies are more shamelessly manipulative than others — all art is a little manipulative, by degrees. —Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026

Akerman, who stars alongside Brittany Snow as manipulative socialite Margo Banks in the Netflix series adaptation of The Hunting Wives from Lionsgate, will receive the Impact Award at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Toronto. —Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 12 Mar. 2026

Sometimes sympathy can feel very manipulative to me in movies, and most of the time, not really earned. —Outside, 10 Mar. 2026

In the film, Niney plays a charismatic but manipulative self-help coach whose influence spirals out of control. —Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 4 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for manipulative

• accommodative
• accumulative
• adjudicative
• administrative
• agglutinative
• ameliorative
• appreciative
• assimilative
• associative
• authoritative
• collaborative
• cooperative