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

Doris Roberts played Marie, Ray’s comically manipulative mother who did not want to be involved in the Fruit of the Month Club. —Danny Horn, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Nov. 2025

Keep in mind also that after Mike warns Kyle that his next-door neighbor in AdSeg is one of the most perniciously manipulative creeps Mike has ever known, Kyle still seems inclined to listen to what Merle has to say. —Noel Murray, Vulture, 23 Nov. 2025

Without proper guardrails, these chatbots will continue to engage in abusive or manipulative conversations with our kids. —Kevin Malone, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025

In that respect, Takasuka noted, the grim tale of the invading, manipulative ant queens stands out even more. —CNN Money, 17 Nov. 2025

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