manly

adjective

Definition of manlynext
as in male
of, relating to, or marked by qualities traditionally associated with men a manly deep voice

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of manly Another critic pointed out that Williams has been the victim of similar attacks calling her athletic build masculine or manly. — Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026 This special again explores the trauma Frank Castle carries from his Marines stint and again includes lots of manly screaming. — Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 15 May 2026 Throughout modern history, first ladies have often served as the empathetic, emotive counterpart to their husbands, who tend to remain more manly and stoic. — Joy Press, Vanity Fair, 28 Apr. 2026 Apollo’s manly, all-business moon crews of the 1960s and 1970s certainly did not do group hugs. — Marcia Dunn, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for manly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manly
  1. male
  2. masculine
Adjective
  • The male victim was taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
    — Jason Green, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Non-smoking women are nearly twice as likely to develop lung cancer as their male counterparts.
    — Geri Stengel, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of male
Adjective
  • Her paintings carry almost none of the familiar signs of masculine authority that dominated so much art of that moment.
    — Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 18 Aug. 2026
  • And you were given subtle signals from the industry about dressing more masculine.
    — Jeffrey Masters, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of masculine

Browse Nearby Words

manliness
manly
man-made
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Manly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manly. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on manly

Nglish: Translation of manly for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of prowess

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All