Need another word that means the same as “manipulative”? Find 20 synonyms and 30 related words for “manipulative” in this overview.
The synonyms of “Manipulative” are: scheming, calculating, cunning, crafty, wily, shrewd, devious, designing, conniving, machiavellian, artful, guileful, slippery, slick, sly, unscrupulous, disingenuous, manual, done with one's hands, dexterous
According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “manipulative” as an adjective can have the following definitions:
artful | Not straightforward or candid; giving a false appearance of frankness- David Cannadine. Her artful wiles. |
calculating | Acting in a scheming and ruthlessly determined way. The most calculating and selfish men in the community. |
conniving | Acting with a specific goal. A heartless and conniving woman. |
crafty | (of something pleasurable) consumed or done in an unplanned, surreptitious way. A crafty crook faked an injury to escape from prison. |
cunning | Having or showing skill in achieving one’s ends by deceit or evasion. A cunning baby. |
designing | Concealing crafty designs for advancing your own interest. A designing little minx. |
devious | Showing a skilful use of underhand tactics to achieve goals. They arrived at the town by a devious route. |
dexterous | Showing or having skill, especially with the hands. Dexterous of hand and inventive of mind. |
disingenuous | Not straightforward or candid; giving a false appearance of frankness- David Cannadine. An ambitious disingenuous philistine and hypocritical operator who exemplified the most disagreeable traits of his time. |
done with one's hands | Having finished or arrived at completion. |
guileful | Marked by skill in deception. A supremely guileful and deceptive politician. |
machiavellian | Of or relating to Machiavelli or the principles of conduct he recommended. |
manual | Doing or requiring physical work. Manual dexterity. |
scheming | Concealing crafty designs for advancing your own interest. A scheming gold digger. |
shrewd | Mischievous; malicious. A shrewd east wind. |
slick | Made slick by e g ice or grease. A slick commercial. |
slippery | (of a word or concept) elusive in meaning because changing according to one’s point of view. Slippery sidewalks. |
sly | Marked by skill in deception. A sly manipulative woman. |
unscrupulous | Having or showing no moral principles; not honest or fair. Unscrupulous landlords might be tempted to harass existing tenants. |
wily | Skilled at gaining an advantage, especially deceitfully. A wily old attorney. |
artful | Not straightforward or candid; giving a false appearance of frankness. An artful choice of metaphors. |
artfully | In a way that is clever or skilful and also cunning. Body scanners are turning up artfully concealed items. |
astute | Having or showing an ability to accurately assess situations or people and turn this to one’s advantage. An astute businessman. |
catchy | Likely to attract attention. A catchy title for a movie. |
chicanery | The use of deception or subterfuge to achieve one’s purpose. Storylines packed with political chicanery. |
controlling | Able to control or determine policy. A controlling interest in the firm. |
covert | A feather covering the base of a main flight or tail feather of a bird. Covert operations against the dictatorship. |
crafty | (of something pleasurable) consumed or done in an unplanned, surreptitious way. A crafty crook faked an injury to escape from prison. |
cunning | Ingenious. Cunning men often pass for wise. |
deceitful | Intended to deceive. Smooth shining and deceitful as thin ice. |
difficult | Characterized by or causing hardships or problems. A difficult economic climate. |
dominant | A dominant trait or gene. This disorder is inherited as a dominant. |
duplicity | The state of being double. The president was accused of duplicity in his dealings with Congress. |
elusive | Difficult to remember. That elusive thing the soul. |
fraudulence | Something intended to deceive; deliberate trickery intended to gain an advantage. |
guile | The use of tricks to deceive someone (usually to extract money from them. He used all his guile and guts to free himself from the muddle he was in. |
humbug | Deceive; trick. His comments are sheer humbug. |
impalpable | Imperceptible to the senses or the mind. Impalpable shadows. |
ingenious | (of a machine or idea) cleverly and originally devised and well suited to its purpose. An ingenious solution to the problem. |
machiavellian | Of or relating to Machiavelli or the principles of conduct he recommended. |
secretive | (of a state or activity) characterized by the concealment of intentions and information. She was very secretive about her past. |
shrewd | Mischievous; malicious. She was shrewd enough to guess the motive behind his gesture. |
skulduggery | Underhand, unscrupulous, or dishonest behaviour or activities. A firm that investigates commercial skulduggery. |
sly | Having or showing a cunning and deceitful nature. Sly as a fox. |
slyly | In a way that suggests some secret knowledge that may be harmful or embarrassing; knowingly. He slyly manipulates votes. |
trickery | The practice of deception. The dealer resorted to trickery. |
tricky | Not to be trusted- James Agee. Tricky Dick. |
twisted | (of a joint) injured by wrenching; sprained. The crash left a trail of twisted metal across the carriageway. |
wile | The use of tricks to deceive someone (usually to extract money from them. She didn t employ any feminine wiles to capture his attention. |
wily | Skilled at gaining an advantage, especially deceitfully. His wily opponents. |
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