mannerism means A style of art developed at the end of the High Renaissance, characterized by the deliberate distortion and exaggeration of perspective and especially the elongation of figures. It carries an Arena rating of 1691, earned across 32 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, mannerism ranks #1,375 of 13,220 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #1,610 of 13,220 for Most Incisive Words, #2,003 of 13,220 for Most Elegant Words, #2,697 of 13,220 for Most Malleable Words.
mannerism is pronounced /ˈmænəˌɹɪzəm/.
Why “mannerism” is a great word
MANNERISM — [Noun] A habitual and often unconscious peculiarity of behavior or speech, or a style in art characterized by deliberate distortion and elongation of forms. From Italian *manierismo*, from *maniera* (“manner, style”), coined at the end of the 18th century by the art historian Luigi Lanzi. Unlike “idiosyncrasy,” which denotes a unique and inherent personal trait, or “pose,” which implies a temporary and artificial affectation, a mannerism is an ingrained, often involuntary signature of self. It is the nervous clearing of a throat before speaking, the impossibly serpentine limbs of a Pontormo figure, or the lifelong, cultivated tilt of a head—a testament to the moment practiced style ossifies into a second, revealing nature.
Etymology
From Italian manierismo, from maniera, coined by Luigi Lanzi at the end of the 18ᵗʰ century.
noun
- A style of art developed at the end of the High Renaissance, characterized by the deliberate distortion and exaggeration of perspective and especially the elongation of figures.
- A noticeable personal habit, a verbal or other (often, but not necessarily unconscious) habitual behavior peculiar to an individual.“The Inspector looked round. He knew well enough that they were alone in the study at The Turrets, but the action had become something of a mannerism with him.”
- Exaggerated or affected style in art, speech, or other behavior.“artists […] dabblingly pursuing a kind of formalist mannerism merely in the interest of careerism”
- In literature, an ostentatious and unnatural style of the second half of the sixteenth century. In the contemporary criticism, described as a negation of the classicist equilibrium, pre-Baroque, and deforming expressiveness.
- In fine art, a style that is inspired by previous models, aiming to reproduce subjects in an expressive language.
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- quattrocento 81% match — The 1400s, the fifteenth-century Renaissance Italian period. vs mannerism →
- chiaroscuro 81% match — An artistic technique developed during the Renaissance, referring to the use of strong contrasts between light and dark in order to create the illusion of volume. vs mannerism →
- contrapposto 81% match — The position of a human figure whose hips and legs are twisted away from the direction of the head and shoulders; (countable) an instance of this. vs mannerism →
- tenebrism 81% match — A style of painting using very pronounced chiaroscuro, with darkness a dominating feature of the image. vs mannerism →
- pseudoclassicism 80% match — false or affected classicism vs mannerism →
- expressionism 80% match — A movement in the arts in which the artist did not depict objective reality, but rather a subjective expression of their inner experiences. vs mannerism →
- quattrocentist 80% match — An artist of the 1400s, the fifteenth-century Renaissance Italian period vs mannerism →
- concetto 80% match — Affected wit; a witty turn of phrase; a conceit. vs mannerism →