contrived
/kənˈtrʌɪvd
/adjective
1Deliberately created rather than arising naturally or spontaneously.Here, however, several contrived situations are grafted into the plot to generate artificial tension....
- Is her vulnerability a natural or contrived circumstance?
- In the end, a few short minutes in such contrived circumstances did little to further the debate on the something already described as a ‘national disgrace’.
1.1Created or arranged in a way that seems artificial and unrealistic: the ending of the novel is too pat and contrived...
- The outside shots of the hospital during a thunderstorm look impressive, but the fire visuals are as artificial as the contrived resolution.
- Though supposedly posing a test of survival skills, the desert-island situation was rather contrived.
- A poor script with bad dialogue and a cheesy, contrived family crisis doesn't help her much.
Synonyms
forced, strained, studied, artificial, affected, put-on, pretended, false, feigned, manufactured, unnatural;
laboured, overdone, elaborate;
far-fetched
North American informal hokey
rare voulu