Someone's mannerisms are the gestures or ways of speaking which are very characteristic of them, and whichthey often use.
His mannerisms are more those of a preoccupied math professor.
Synonyms: habit, characteristic, trait, quirk More Synonyms of mannerism
mannerism in British English
(ˈmænəˌrɪzəm)
noun
1.
a distinctive and individual gesture or trait; idiosyncrasy
2. (often capital)
a principally Italian movement in art and architecture between the High Renaissance and Baroque periods (1520–1600) that sought to represent an ideal of beauty rather than natural images of it, using characteristic distortion and exaggeration of human proportions, perspective, etc
3.
adherence to a distinctive or affected manner, esp in art or literature
Derived forms
mannerist (ˈmannerist)
noun
manneristic (ˌmannerˈistic) or manneristical (ˌmannerˈistical)
adjective
manneristically (ˌmannerˈistically)
adverb
mannerism in American English
(ˈmænərˌɪzəm)
noun
1.
excessive use of some distinctive, often affected, manner or style in art, literature, speech,or behavior
2.
a peculiarity of manner in behavior, speech, etc. that has become a habit
3. [M-]
a 16th-cent. style in art characterized by distortion of realistic proportions, contorted figures, an avoidance of classical balance, etc.
SIMILAR WORDS: pose
Derived forms
mannerist (ˈmannerist)
noun, adjective
manneristic (ˌmannerˈistic)
adjective
Examples of 'mannerism' in a sentence
mannerism
It was a mannerism Maurice had only recently added to his collection.
Daisy Waugh TEN STEPS TO HAPPINESS (2003)
`Mine's a pint," she called, giving a very credible impression of his voice and mannerism.
Lunnon-Wood, Mike LET NOT THE DEEP (2003)
Rebet sat in another chair, his legs crossed, turning a pencil endlessly between his fingers, a mannerism which irked Lysenko.
Forbes, Colin COVER STORY (2003)
It nodded to itself, a mannerism cultivated during its contacts with humans.