contrived

/kənˈtraɪvd/

Say it: kun-TRIVED

adjective Deliberately created in a way that seems artificial, forced, or unnatural.
The movie's plot felt contrived, with a series of unbelievable coincidences leading to the happy ending.

📖 Seen in the wild

The plot of the movie was so contrived that it was difficult to believe the characters' motivations.
collected by @vocablast

✏️ contrived in a sentence

Her apology seemed contrived and insincere, as if she were just reading from a script.
Critics panned the film for its contrived ending, which betrayed the realistic tone of the first two acts.
The team-building exercise was so contrived that it made everyone feel more awkward, not closer.
He tried to arrange a casual, contrived 'accidental' meeting with his ex-girlfriend.
While the setup is a bit contrived, the emotional core of the story rings true.
The politician's folksy accent sounded contrived to appeal to rural voters.

🔁 Synonyms & antonyms

forced artificial unnatural strained labored overdone engineered phony

forced · implies a lack of naturalness due to excessive effort or pressure.

artificial · suggests something made to imitate a natural thing, often unconvincingly.

unnatural · emphasizes a deviation from what is expected in nature or normal behavior.

strained · highlights the sense of effort and lack of ease.

Opposites: natural, spontaneous, genuine, authentic, effortless

🌱 Where it comes from

The word evolved from the Old French verb 'controver', meaning 'to invent' or 'imagine'. While the root verb 'contrive' can have a neutral or even positive sense of devising something cleverly, its adjectival form 'contrived' took a negative turn. It came to describe something where the cleverness is too obvious, making the result feel forced and unnatural.

🧩 How it's used

Common patterns:

contrived plotcontrived situationcontrived dialogueseems contrivedfeels contriveda bit contrived

'Contrived' carries a strong negative connotation, suggesting that something is not only artificial but also clumsy or transparent in its design. It is a common criticism in reviews of creative works like books or films whose plots, dialogue, or characters seem unbelievable. While you can 'contrive a plan' (a more neutral use of the verb), calling the result 'contrived' is a clear judgment that the plan or its outcome lacks authenticity.

Word family: contrive, contrivance

💬 Quick answers

What does 'contrived' mean in simple terms?

It means something seems fake or forced because it was too obviously planned out instead of happening naturally. It's often used for unbelievable movie plots or insincere apologies.

What is the difference between 'contrived' and 'artificial'?

While both mean unnatural, 'artificial' can be neutral, simply meaning man-made. 'Contrived' is negative, suggesting the attempt to create something is clumsy, obvious, and unconvincing.

Is calling something 'contrived' a compliment or an insult?

It is almost always a criticism or an insult. It implies a lack of authenticity, skill, or naturalness in whatever is being described.

Can a person's behavior be contrived?

Yes, a person's mannerisms, speech, or actions can be described as contrived. This means they seem to be acting in a calculated, unnatural way instead of being genuine.

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