bedside manner

noun

: the manner that a physician assumes toward patients
a doctor with a soothing bedside manner
broadly : a person's manner in dealing with others
The good news for Coelho is that his problem is largely a matter of style, not substance. With a smoother bedside manner, friends and opponents agree, he could probably get the job done. —Dana Milbank

Examples of bedside manner in a Sentence

A number of patients have complained about the doctor's impersonal bedside manner. a nurse with a warm bedside manner
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
While there were some yeses, showrunner Liz Tuccillo prefers a doctor with bedside manner. — Abby Stern, HollywoodReporter, 6 May 2026 Van Edwards became especially interested in fronting through her work with doctors and dentists on bedside manner. — Angela Haupt, Time, 29 Apr. 2026 Talarico, meanwhile, is a 36-year-old seminarian with the bedside manner of a Sunday school teacher. — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 29 May 2026 The right-left brain combination of bedside manner and biological detective needed in patient-facing medicine fits the natural philomath. — Courtney Crowder, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bedside manner

Word History

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bedside manner was in 1848

Rhymes for bedside manner

See All Rhymes for bedside manner

Browse Nearby Words

bedside
bedside manner
bedsit
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bedside manner.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bedside%20manner. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Medical Definition

bedside manner

noun
: the manner that a physician assumes toward patients
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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