Definition of demeanornext

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun demeanor contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of demeanor are bearing, carriage, deportment, manner, and mien. While all these words mean "the outward manifestation of personality or attitude," demeanor suggests one's attitude toward others as expressed in outward behavior.

the haughty demeanor of the headwaiter

Where would bearing be a reasonable alternative to demeanor?

The words bearing and demeanor can be used in similar contexts, but bearing is the most general of these words but now usually implies characteristic posture.

a woman of regal bearing

When is it sensible to use carriage instead of demeanor?

Although the words carriage and demeanor have much in common, carriage applies chiefly to habitual posture in standing or walking.

the kind of carriage learned at boarding school

When would deportment be a good substitute for demeanor?

While in some cases nearly identical to demeanor, deportment suggests actions or behavior as formed by breeding or training.

your deportment was atrocious

When could manner be used to replace demeanor?

While the synonyms manner and demeanor are close in meaning, manner implies characteristic or customary way of moving and gesturing and addressing others.

the imperious manner of a man used to giving orders

When can mien be used instead of demeanor?

The meanings of mien and demeanor largely overlap; however, mien is a literary term referring both to bearing and demeanor.

a mien of supreme self-satisfaction

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of demeanor While the numbers, or lack thereof in this case, speak for themselves, Harrison's demeanor and energy levels have also been noticeable over two weeks, and not in a good way. — Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026 At her trial, her stoic demeanor and shifting testimonies were nearly her ruin. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026 His restrained demeanor contrasts with Moreno, the brash former car dealer who entered politics as an outsider. — Joey Cappelletti, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026 Xi’s reserved and opaque public demeanor embodies such admonitions. — Orville Schell, Foreign Affairs, 16 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for demeanor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demeanor
Noun
  • Each episode follows one garden over an extended period, capturing animal behavior rarely witnessed by human eyes – from raising families and defending territories to hunting, courting and surviving the changing seasons.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
  • These behaviors reflected not only algorithmic performance but also the coordination of the robot body, actuator modules and motion-control system.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Arrests near schools or colleges have increased, though enforcement actions on campuses are extremely uncommon.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Similar actions have come from Tennessee, Kentucky, and beyond.
    — Kent Sepkowitz, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • But coming off the back of that, there was all of this legislation that was pretty awful and generally, there were a lot of homophobic attitudes, still quite extreme, even as late as the 1990s.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Saudi Arabia has suffered fewer attacks than Gulf neighbours, its airspace has mostly stayed open, and the kingdom has projected a business-as-usual attitude.
    — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 9 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Demeanor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demeanor. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster