macho 1 of 2

noun

Definition of machonext
as in masculinity
the set of qualities considered appropriate for or characteristic of men their annual guys-only hunting trip is a celebration of macho

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

macho

2 of 2

adjective

as in hypermasculine

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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 macho
Noun
In the 20th century, macho came to mean an exaggerated or even somewhat aggressive kind of masculinity, often with humorous undertones. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025 And the ultra macho (and sometimes clueless) Rick Ford is having none of this. — Mike Ryan, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
By the end of the 1970s, the band and movemenet were losing goodwill, loathed by both the hip disco cognoscenti and a reactionary macho counterinsurgence that culminated in the vinyl furnace at Disco Demolition Night in Chicago. — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 1 July 2026 No amount of macho beatdowns in the UFC cage matches on the White House lawn will make anyone forget Epstein’s depredations. — Maureen Dowd, Mercury News, 18 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for macho
Recent Examples of Synonyms for macho
  1. masculinity
  2. hypermasculine
  3. manly
  4. masculine
  5. virile
  6. male
Noun
  • Some people may correlate high testosterone with more masculinity—bigger muscles and things like that.
    — Teresa Maalouf, Verywell Health, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Experts say the situation is highlighting a bigger issue at hand than testosterone deficiency − an obsession with and major misunderstanding about masculinity.
    — Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of masculinity
Adjective
  • The pressures to look a certain way — hypermasculine, muscular and stylish, for example, among certain subsets of gay men, can be just as harsh and punishing.
    — Stephanie Fairyington, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
  • Cowboy hats, jeans, a lot of alcohol and bull riding combine into a special mix of hypermasculine rituals at Mexican rodeo shows.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 17 Mar. 2026
Definition of hypermasculine
Adjective
  • In a world that had long equated labor with the physical act of making things, such a shift was seen as not terribly manly, and potentially dangerous to society as a whole.
    — Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 23 July 2026
  • Odysseus, manly and strong, is catnip to all kinds of scheming women.
    — Jim Beckerman, USA Today, 16 July 2026
Definition of manly
Adjective
  • Experts note that these could be theatrical representations of feminine or masculine figures, not actual men and women.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Kate is also unafraid to mix traditionally masculine and feminine elements in the same outfit, pairing sparkling drop earrings with rugged boots or accenting a tweed blazer with sparkling gold hardware.
    — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of masculine
Adjective
  • Jimmy is immediately struck by this younger, virile, needier man when Vincent asks him to help move a piece of furniture in.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 May 2026
  • After a faculty party one night, Martha invites the college’s virile new biology professor, Nick, and his vapid wife, Honey, over for a wee-hours drink.
    — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
Definition of virile
Adjective
  • Of the 231 perpetrators, 229 were men; 207 of the victims were women killed by a current or former male partner.
    — Conor Wight, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Both men and women have taken on these roles, although the male practitioners are more prominent in accounts from the 19th and early 20th centuries.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of male

Browse Nearby Words

machismo
macho
mack daddies
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Cite this Entry

“Macho.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/macho. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on macho

Nglish: Translation of macho for Spanish Speakers

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