What does "posing" mean?

1. (behaving artificially) behaving in a way that is not natural or honest, usually to make yourself look more important or cool. 2. (artistic positioning) the way someone is positioned for a photograph or a piece of art.

posing

US //ˈpoʊzɪŋ// UK //pˈəʊzɪŋ// pos·ing

1 behaving artificially (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

behaving in a way that is not natural or honest, usually to make yourself look more important or cool.

the act of adopting an artificial or pretentious manner to impress others or to fit into a specific social group.

Example

He is tired of all the posing and fake attitudes at these industry parties.

Example

The critic dismissed the artist's public persona as mere posing, arguing that the rebellious image was carefully constructed for commercial gain.
- posturing
- affectation
- pretence
- sincerity
- authenticity
2 artistic positioning (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical

the way someone is positioned for a photograph or a piece of art.

the specific arrangement of the body for artistic or photographic purposes.

Example

The photographer gave her some advice on posing to make the portrait look more natural.

Example

In classical portraiture, the posing of the subject often conveyed their social status through specific hand gestures and gaze direction.
- posture
- stance

Last updated June 20, 2026