Demeanour is the picture a person gives by how they move, dress, speak, and hold their face — the outside that hints at the inside. A calm demeanour. A cold demeanour. A cheerful demeanour. It is not one single act; it is the general way someone comes across. This is the British spelling. American English writes demeanor. The word is a little formal. In easy talk people say manner, way, or how someone comes across. Though actually, demeanour is not “the feeling of being put down,” and it does not come from demean “to make low.” It comes from an old French verb meaning to lead or to carry yourself. The two words sit beside each other and trick the eye, but they grew from different roots. What you see on the face may hide what a person feels; demeanour is the show, not a window you can always trust.