plural men-about-town ˌmen-ə-ˌbau̇t-ˈtau̇n How to pronounce man-about-town (audio)
: a worldly and socially active man

Examples of man-about-town in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The magazine’s first employee was Rea Irvin, a charismatic and worldly man-about-town—known for his distinctive fedora with a wide brim—who had been an actor, a comic-strip artist, and an art editor. Françoise Mouly, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2024 The same might have been said of Duff Cooper, a British viscount, diplomat, politician, war hero, man-about-town—always good for a glass of port or an extramarital romp. Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 9 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'man-about-town.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1734, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of man-about-town was in 1734

Dictionary Entries Near man-about-town

Cite this Entry

“Man-about-town.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/man-about-town. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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