as in strained
lacking in natural or spontaneous quality
the contrived applause of a TV studio audience that has been told when to clap
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in concocted
to create or think of by clever use of the imagination
contrived abstract metal sculptures using old household utensils
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in plotted
to engage in a secret plan to accomplish evil or unlawful ends
the mischievous boys were always contriving and trying to pull the prank that would be the talk of the school
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in negotiated
to plan out usually with subtle skill or care
contrived a way of planning the surprise party without their catching on to it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of contrived
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2025
The understood reason for this contrived explanation of meme coins is to avoid being classified as a security under the Howey Test, thereby evading the regulatory purview of the SEC.
—Chris Groshong, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
The contrived encounter can be forgiven because their reunion allows Patterson to pay sweet homage to a particular kind of Oklahoman culture.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2025
Her passion for her dogs and genuine stories are more effective than any contrived marketing strategy.
—Patrice Poltzer, Contributor, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contrived
Adjective
Trump’s contrived veneer is being ripped away to reveal an immoral, mendacious, transactional opportunist, without a shred of loyalty to anyone or anything but himself.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2025
The understood reason for this contrived explanation of meme coins is to avoid being classified as a security under the Howey Test, thereby evading the regulatory purview of the SEC.
—Chris Groshong, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
The contrived encounter can be forgiven because their reunion allows Patterson to pay sweet homage to a particular kind of Oklahoman culture.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2025
Her passion for her dogs and genuine stories are more effective than any contrived marketing strategy.
—Patrice Poltzer, Contributor, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for contrived
Recent Examples of Synonyms for contrived
Adjective
-
His strained, sandpaper-coarse timbre served as an ideal conduit for songs concerned with boisterous revelries, shady agreements, licentious intentions and musical pleasures.—
Bob Gendron,
Chicago Tribune,
25 May 2025
-
Wallner, who has been on the injured list with a strained hamstring since mid-April, hit two home runs on Thursday in his first rehab game and had another three hits and three RBIs on Friday.—
Betsy Helfand,
Twin Cities,
24 May 2025
Verb
-
The North America deal was negotiated between Rachel White, Vertical’s Manager of Acquisitions & Sales, and Daniel Diamond of Diamond Media, which is handling sales.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
14 Feb. 2025
-
The deal was negotiated between Signature Entertainment’s Acquisitions & Development Executive Max Hart and DeskPop Entertainment’s Executive Vice President Mat Levy.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Say it with mock certainty and a slight smile, Callahan advises, and pause before the punchline.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
21 May 2025
-
Two of them show up regularly in way-too-early 2026 mock drafts.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
21 May 2025
Verb
-
Before the Frazier and Foreman fight was devised, former heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali was stripped of the title.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
22 Mar. 2025
-
Price controls don’t work, whether they’re devised domestically or imported from abroad.—
Sally Pipes,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
In Season 4 of the Max comedy, Deborah Vance and Ava Daniels have manipulated their way into their respective dream jobs as host and head writer of a late-night talk show on network TV.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Apr. 2025
-
This country is being manipulated by two people — and those too afraid to have the courage to oppose them.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
While there are certainly products that can be used across different hair textures, lengths, curl patterns, thicknesses, colors (natural and unnatural), and needs, hair products are often created with specific consumers in mind.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
18 May 2025
-
For her, the idea of being surrounded by people, especially while grieving, felt overwhelming and unnatural.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
1 May 2025
Verb
-
This reactor stands out because its sophisticated solar absorber is carefully engineered to retain as much heat as possible while reducing losses.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Mar. 2025
-
Given the sensitivity of the LiDAR to performance to temperature, Komatsu engineered specialized thermal management solutions to address a wide operating range (-50 °C - +65 °C).—
Sabbir Rangwala,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
This discrepancy hindered the adoption of BI, which might further damage AI by generating models that are trained with false assumptions and generate erroneous predictions.—
Artyom Keydunov,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
-
The temperature of online discourse can often provide a false reading of a fanbase’s opinion on a manager or a team.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Contrived.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/contrived. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share