ENGLISH
REFERENCE

mechanically

adv. manner
B2 Upper Intermediate US //məˈkænɪkɫi// UK //mɪkˈænɪkli// me·chan·i·cal·ly

adv. doing something like a machine, without thinking or feeling. You use this when someone does a task automatically because they have done it so many times before.

adv. in a manner that is automatic or routine, showing a lack of conscious thought, emotion, or spontaneity. Often describes physical actions performed through habit or repetitive training.


SIMPLE

He nodded mechanically while he thought about something else.

CONTEXTUAL

After twenty years on the assembly line, she performed the complex series of movements mechanically.

COMPLEX

The pianist played the difficult passage mechanically, hitting every note with technical precision but failing to convey the underlying emotional depth of the composition.

Synonyms
Origin

From mechanical + -ly.

Usage

Typically follows the verb it modifies to describe the style of an action.

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