Affectedness

Affectedness is the display of artificial behavior, speech, or mannerisms, often intended to impress or create a certain image. It involves a conscious effort to adopt a style or attitude that is perceived as unnatural, pretentious, or exaggerated. This can manifest in various forms, from overly elaborate language and gestures to the adoption of an affected accent or a display of esoteric knowledge. It often stems from a desire for social approval or to project an illusion of sophistication or superiority, and it tends to be transparent and unconvincing to others.

Affectedness meaning with examples

• The young playwright's affectedness was evident in his stilted dialogue and dramatic pronouncements, which seemed designed to showcase his intellectual prowess rather than serve the play. Despite the contrived nature of his language, the audience quickly saw through his facade, finding his approach tiresome and inauthentic to the actual emotions.
• Sarah's affectedness was on full display at the art gallery opening. She adopted a breathy voice, made ostentatious pronouncements about the artist's technique, and feigned a profound understanding of the abstract pieces, while barely concealing the fact that she was uncomfortable with the whole event.
• Despite her best efforts, it was hard for us to not see the affectedness in her gestures during the presentation, and she sounded as though she was trying too hard when trying to convince everyone of the project's importance. Her delivery felt forced, lacking in genuine passion, and the investors saw through this very quickly.
• The movie star's interviews were often criticized for their affectedness. He would pepper his responses with obscure literary references and adopt a studied nonchalance that felt at odds with his relatively simple personality, leaving many viewers seeing through his facade.