machismo

noun

ma·​chis·​mo mä-ˈchēz-(ˌ)mō 

mə-,

-ˈkēz- 

-ˈkiz-,

-ˈchiz-

1

: a strong sense of masculine pride : an exaggerated masculinity

athletes displaying their machismo

2

: an exaggerated or exhilarating sense of power or strength

the administration's machismo in pushing for a new treaty

Synonyms

• macho
• manhood
• manliness
• masculinity
• virility

Example Sentences

a culture that prizes machismo and has rigid gender roles

Recent Examples on the Web

Torera, which Hurst-Mendoza developed through the 2022 Alley All New Festival (an annual showcase for work-shopping new plays), tells the story of Elena Ramríez (played on stage by Jacqueline Guillén), a fictional bullfighter trying to reach the top of a field dominated by men and machismo. —Chris Vognar, Chron, 17 May 2023

She also is dedicated to revolutionizing the machismo mindset. —Diane Bell, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Apr. 2023

Recipients hailed from across Central and South America and were about equally divided between men and woman, with some prizes going to teams comprising just female filmmakers a sign perhaps that the legendary machismo of Latin America may be subsiding, at least, in the film industry. —Jeffrey Sipe, Variety, 7 Oct. 2021

Here was British machismo immune from mockery, the prewar vision of England that Fleming wanted to project onto a world turned upside-down — a world, in short, where the Beatles could become stars. —Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2023

Billy Eugene Jones plays both Rev and Pap, and the two come across as different kinds of preening tyrant: one supercilious and the other more aggressive yet both pumped up with machismo. —Vulture, 12 Apr. 2023

Radiating hippie machismo, Treadwell is a classic Herzogian weirdo, his blonde Prince Valiant haircut and convivial naiveté barely masking the troubled past that led him to seek salvation in the woods. —Robyn Bahr, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Mar. 2023

The Succession with cowboys has amassed an extremely devoted following since its debut in 2018 (the fifth season premieres in November), spawned three spinoffs, and turned its creator Taylor Sheridan into the de facto authority on expansive tales of American ambition and machismo. —The Editors, Town & Country, 16 July 2022

For a society built upon toxic machismo, Rebelde was a cultural shock to the system. —Ana Escalante, Harper's BAZAAR, 6 Oct. 2021

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Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from macho

First Known Use

circa 1948, in the meaning defined at sense 1