In a way that shows you are being forced or limited by something; with a restrained or uncomfortable manner.
From constrained (past participle of constrain, from Latin constringere meaning 'to bind together') plus the adverbial suffix -ly. The word evolved to describe actions performed while under restriction or pressure.
This word captures that awkward feeling you get when you're trying to act natural but you're actually really uncomfortable—it's the adverb version of 'fake smile in a school photo.' Writers use it to show characters struggling against invisible bonds.
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