man-child

noun

ˈman-ˌchī(-ə)ld 

plural men-children ˈmen-ˌchil-drən 

-dərn

1

: a male child : son

… it came to her what a glory it would be to be the mother of a man-child like this.

—Jack London

2

: a man who has the qualities of a child : a childlike man

… a largely likable tale about a 38-year-old man-child trying finally to grow up.

—Manohla Dargis

Examples of man-child in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

While Buckley's Bride finds new agency on their road trip, Bale’s Frank is a complementary partner-in-crime, exuding tough-guy swagger but also man-child innocence as a vulnerable brute with a poet’s soul. —Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 Mar. 2026

Shajaffar plays Zeba, who is newly married to man-child Sajawal (Hanif) after having three suitors who ended up dying. —Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026

Dawkins was a 6-10, 245-pound man-child who made Evans almost unbeatable in the Trojans’ 1974-75 state championship season before becoming the first player to jump from high school to the NBA. —Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2026

Meeting his daughter's man-child boyfriend over the holidays. —Lydia Price, PEOPLE, 23 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for man-child

• beguiled
• brainchild
• compiled
• defiled
• exiled
• grandchild
• profiled
• refiled
• reviled
• stepchild
• stockpiled
• domiciled