manipulative.

1. Seeking to influence others through concealed, unfair, or exploitative means.

2. Relating to deliberate physical handling or movement.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• manipulative behavior
• manipulative appeal

On the page

The request became manipulative when refusal was framed as betrayal.

Usage notes

Primary category: psychology / human behavior. Forms: Comparative more manipulative; superlative most manipulative when comparison is meaningful. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: character, behavior. Commonness: moderately common.