Meaning & use
mannerisms
Last updated
Distinctive habits or ways of behaving, speaking, or gesturing that are characteristic of a particular person.
See it in a sentence
The actor studied the senator's mannerisms for weeks before playing the role.
His nervous mannerisms, like tapping his pen, gave away his anxiety.
A note on using this word
Mannerisms are often what actors focus on most closely when impersonating real people, since small gestures can be more recognizable than words.
Words with a similar meaning
quirkshabitsidiosyncrasies
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