VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

bedside manner

noun·Academic

Last updated

UK/ˈbedsaɪd ˌmænə/
US/ˈbedsaɪd ˌmænər/

Meanings

  1. noununcountable

    The way a doctor or nurse speaks and behaves with patients, especially how kind, calm and reassuring they seem.

    Grammar: Usually singular with good or bad: she has a good bedside manner.

    Patterns

    • have a good bedside manner
    • a doctor's bedside manner

    Dr. Lee has a warm bedside manner that puts nervous patients at ease.

    He is a brilliant surgeon but has a poor bedside manner.

    A kind bedside manner can calm a frightened child.

  2. noununcountablefigurative

    Someone's general style of treating people who are upset, ill or in need of comfort, even outside medicine.

    Grammar: Used figuratively for non-medical people: the teacher's bedside manner.

    Patterns

    • someone's bedside manner

    The vet's gentle bedside manner helped the anxious dog relax.

    Her bedside manner as a manager was kind, not cold.

    He lacks the bedside manner for delivering bad news.

Common combinations

good bedside manner
A good bedside manner makes patients trust their doctors.
poor bedside manner
His poor bedside manner left patients feeling rushed.
warm bedside manner
She is known for her warm bedside manner.
gentle bedside manner
A gentle bedside manner helps with frightened children.
lack a bedside manner
Some experts lack a bedside manner despite their skill.

Synonyms and how they differ

manner
Manner is general and can describe anyone's behavior, while bedside manner refers specifically to behavior toward patients or people needing care.
demeanor
Demeanor describes how someone behaves or appears in general and is more formal.
approach
Approach describes the method someone uses, not the warmth or kindness shown, as bedside manner does.
rapport
Rapport means a relationship of understanding between people, which a good bedside manner can create.

Opposites

coldness

Word family

bedside noun
the space next to a bed
manner noun
the way someone behaves
manners noun
polite social behavior
mannerly adjective
polite and well behaved

Commonly confused: bedside manner or table manners?

bedside manner vs table manners

Table manners are the rules of polite behavior when eating, not how a carer treats patients.

Practice

Which phrase describes a doctor with a good bedside manner?

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “bedside manner”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words