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answer mechanically

[ˈænsər məˈkænɪkli]
verb phrase
responder mecanicamente
1. to respond to something without thought, attention, or genuine engagement; to give an automatic or habitual response
She answered mechanically when asked about her day, still thinking about the argument.
Ela respondeu mecanicamente quando perguntaram sobre seu dia, ainda pensando na discussão.
2. to reply in a routine manner without emotional investment or consideration
He answered mechanically to the same questions he had heard a thousand times before.
Ele respondeu mecanicamente às mesmas perguntas que tinha ouvido mil vezes antes.
NYC Slang
give it the robot treatment; phone it in
Synonyms
answer automaticallyrespond without thinkinganswer routinelyreply mechanicallyanswer perfunctorily
Antonyms
answer thoughtfullyanswer deliberatelyrespond with careanswer with consideration

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
responder mecanicamente
standard usage across Brazil
São Paulo
responder no automático
colloquial alternative
Rio de Janeiro
responder no piloto automático
informal variant
Portugal
responder mecanicamente
standard European Portuguese usage

Related Idioms & Phrases

answer on autopilot
respond without thinking
give a stock answer
reply by rote
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