everyman

noun

ev·​ery·​man ˈev-rē-ˌman 

variants often Everyman

: the typical or ordinary person

Synonyms of everyman

• worker
• little man
• man in the street
• little guy
• John Doe
• Joe Blow
• laborer
• lug

Examples of everyman in a Sentence

an actor who is seen as the image of everyman

despite his superstar status, in his movies the actor is able to play the role of an everyman quite convincingly

Recent Examples on the Web

In Joe Mantello’s staggering new production of Arthur Miller’s 1949 American tragedy, self-deluded everyman Willy Loman (Lane) gets lost in the funhouse mirror of his life, haunted by the squandered potential of both him and his son, Biff (the revelatory Christopher Abbott). —Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 3 May 2026

The narrative centers on Roh Tae-woo, a man who cultivates a public image as an everyman while working the levers of influence alongside military strongman Chun Doo-hwan. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026

Maybe Yamamoto’s unassuming everyman act is just that good? —Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2026

The 50th anniversary of his Game 7 heroics was marked in 2010 by the unveiling — on Bill Mazeroski Way — of a 14-foot, 2,000-pound statue of one of Pittsburgh’s greatest everymen, rounding the bases, on top of the world. —ABC News, 21 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Everyman, allegorical character in The Summoning of Everyman, 15th century English morality play

First Known Use

1901, in the meaning defined above