manipulated

/məˈnɪp.jə.leɪt/ (bre, ipa) · [mənˈɪpjəlˌetɪd] /məˈnɪp.jə.leɪt/ (ame, ipa)

manipulated — verb

  • manipulatedpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • manipulateds3rd person singular
  • manipulateding-ing form
  • manipulatededpast simple

1. made someone do what you want by using clever, dishonest, or unfair methods, usu

1.動詞及物C1
釋義

made someone do what you want by using clever, dishonest, or unfair methods, usually so you get something good for yourself.

例句

Ignacio manipulated his younger brother into giving him the bigger slice of cake.

manipulate + someone + into doing something

The team leader manipulated the survey results so the project would look successful to investors.

manipulate + data/results to deceive

同義詞
  • exploit

    stronger; focuses on using a person or situation purely for personal gain

  • deceive

    centres on the lie itself; 'manipulate' centres on steering behaviour

  • influence

    neutral umbrella term; 'manipulate' is the dishonest version

反義詞
  • respect

    treating someone's choices as their own to make

文法句型

manipulate + object

manipulate someone into doing something

用法筆記

Subject is usually a person; object is usually another person, an emotion, or a piece of information (data, results, news). The action carries a clearly negative judgment — distinguish from sense 4, which is morally neutral.

常見錯誤

My boss manipulated me to work harder by giving me a raise.
My boss persuaded me to work harder by giving me a raise.
💡'manipulate' implies unfair or dishonest methods; an open, normal incentive is 'persuade'.

2. moved, turned, or operated a physical object with your fingers and hands, often

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

moved, turned, or operated a physical object with your fingers and hands, often needing care or skill.

例句

Felix carefully manipulated the tiny screws inside the broken pocket watch with a magnifying glass.

manipulate + small/delicate physical object

Ava manipulated the joystick to steer the drone between the trees in the back garden.

manipulate + control device (joystick, lever)

同義詞
  • handle

    more general; covers both touching and dealing with

  • operate

    for machines and tools; less about finger-level adjustment

文法句型

manipulate + object (physical)

用法筆記

Object is a concrete, often small or delicate item that the hands act on directly. Frequently appears with adverbs like 'carefully', 'skilfully', or 'gently'. No negative judgment, unlike sense 1.

3. used the hands to press on muscles and gently move joints or bones back into pla

3.動詞及物C1
釋義

used the hands to press on muscles and gently move joints or bones back into place, as a way of treating pain or injury.

例句

The chiropractor gently manipulated Kofi's lower back to relieve the pain from his fall off the ladder.

manipulate + body part (back, neck, joint)

Rohan let a physiotherapist manipulate his shoulder twice a week after the swimming accident.

同義詞
  • adjust

    the term chiropractors themselves often use

  • massage

    limited to soft tissue; 'manipulate' also covers joint and bone work

文法句型

manipulate + body part / patient

用法筆記

Subject is usually a trained practitioner (chiropractor, physiotherapist, osteopath). Object is a body part of someone else, not the practitioner's own body. Common in clinical writing.

4. worked with information, materials, or a system in a clever and skilful way, wit

4.動詞及物C1
釋義

worked with information, materials, or a system in a clever and skilful way, without any suggestion of cheating — for example reshaping data, sound, or an image to get a useful result.

例句

Ziad manipulated the raw audio in the editor until the singer's voice sounded clear above the drums.

manipulate + raw material (audio, image, data) in a tool

The accountant manipulated the spreadsheet formulas so that the monthly totals updated automatically.

manipulate + structured data (spreadsheet, code)

同義詞
  • process

    narrower; suggests a fixed sequence, not creative reshaping

  • edit

    limited to text, audio, video; 'manipulate' is broader

  • shape

    more about form than function

文法句型

manipulate + information/material/tool

用法筆記

Object is typically a material the subject is shaping for a purpose (data, sound, image, dough, code). No negative judgment — distinguish from sense 1 by checking whether the goal is unfair gain (sense 1) or just skilful work (sense 4).