Synonyms of mechanical

mechanical

adjective

mi-ˈka-ni-kəl 

1

as in automatic

done instantly and without conscious thought or decision

the waiter's mechanical reply of "Everything on the menu is good"

Synonyms & Similar Words

• automatic
• robotic
• mechanic
• reflex
• spontaneous
• simple
• sudden
• instinctive
• natural
• instinctual
• involuntary
• unwilling
• quick
• abrupt
• unconscious
• knee-jerk
• visceral
• reactive
• impulsive
• casual
• conditioned
• subliminal
• inadvertent
• unintentional
• blind
• Pavlovian
• random
• impromptu
• unintended
• unforced
• unwitting
• unreasoned
• extemporaneous
• improvised
• ready
• snap
• haphazard
• chance
• unplanned
• spur-of-the-moment
• unprepared
• extempore
• impetuous
• unpremeditated
• mindless
• unrehearsed
• hasty
• offhand
• unconsidered
• unstudied
• rash
• off-the-cuff
• offhanded
• hit-or-miss
• unprompted
• ad-lib
• chancy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• conscious
• voluntary
• intentional
• deliberate
• nonmechanical
• volitional
• wilful
• intended
• prepared
• willful
• designed
• careful
• calculated
• predetermined
• refined
• willed
• rehearsed
• cultivated
• projected
• meticulous
• thoughtful
• reasoned
• measured
• considered
• studied
• advised
• foresighted
• aforethought
• forethoughtful

2

as in unnatural

lacking in natural or spontaneous quality

a somewhat mechanical vocal performance

Synonyms & Similar Words

• unnatural
• mock
• strained
• artificial
• false
• fake
• affected
• simulated
• pseudo
• plastic
• theatrical
• exaggerated
• forced
• assumed
• automatic
• factitious
• spurious
• theatric
• contrived
• feigned
• bogus
• cute
• phony
• sham
• phoney
• hollow
• formal
• pretended
• deliberate
• put-on
• unreal
• empty
• conventional
• manufactured
• calculated
• wooden
• stiff
• pat
• unrealistic
• conscious
• rigid
• melodramatic
• labored
• unauthentic
• hypocritical
• impersonal
• insincere
• histrionic
• facile
• fabricated
• hokey
• canned
• unctuous
• stylized
• artful
• mincing
• mealy
• cultivated
• inflexible
• concocted
• premeditated
• genteel
• left-handed
• simpering
• cutesy
• studied
• double-dealing
• two-faced
• overdone
• mealymouthed
• overrefined
• overacted
• goody-goody

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• natural
• spontaneous
• real
• genuine
• unaffected
• realistic
• artless
• bona fide
• true
• right
• authentic
• sincere
• honest
• unforced
• ingenuous
• smooth
• easy
• unfeigned
• uncontrived
• unconscious
• instinctive
• effortless
• impulsive
• impromptu
• extemporaneous
• unpretending
• unstudied
• unrehearsed
• unprompted

Synonym Chooser

How is the word mechanical distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of mechanical are automatic, impulsive, instinctive, and spontaneous. While all these words mean "acting or activated without deliberation," mechanical stresses the lifeless, often perfunctory character of the response.

a mechanical teaching method

When might automatic be a better fit than mechanical?

While in some cases nearly identical to mechanical, automatic implies action engaging neither the mind nor the emotions and connotes a predictable response.

his denial was automatic

When would impulsive be a good substitute for mechanical?

While the synonyms impulsive and mechanical are close in meaning, impulsive implies acting under stress of emotion or spirit of the moment.

impulsive acts of violence

When can instinctive be used instead of mechanical?

The synonyms instinctive and mechanical are sometimes interchangeable, but instinctive stresses action involving neither judgment nor will.

blinking is an instinctive reaction

When is spontaneous a more appropriate choice than mechanical?

Although the words spontaneous and mechanical have much in common, spontaneous implies lack of prompting and connotes naturalness.

a spontaneous burst of applause

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of mechanical

To an extent, some of the rapid moves in financial markets may be mechanical, feeding off of each other. —Jesse Pound, CNBC, 12 Apr. 2025

The pieces are then fed into the company’s proprietary thermal mechanical recycling process. —Jennifer Bringle, Sourcing Journal, 11 Apr. 2025

As a result, shifting some wood from the end of the barrel to the sweet spot will not make the bat more powerful, Lloyd Smith, a mechanical engineer who studies ball-bat collisions at Washington State University, told me. —Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2025

Scott Taylor, lead mechanical engineer for manufacturer Lockheed Martin, put the effort in perspective in a 2023 news release. —Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 10 Apr. 2025