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 of machismo

• masculinity

Examples of machismo in a Sentence

a culture that prizes machismo and has rigid gender roles

Recent Examples on the Web

In April 2022, a video of Putin gripping a table while talking to former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had also prompted speculation about the condition of the leader, who has always cultivated an image of robust health and machismo. —Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025

Several writers attempted to construct a pattern and narrative around the killings, blaming the incidents on the country’s culture of machismo or even Sinatra’s own brash lyrics, but I was most drawn to the accounts that pointed to the singers being murdered for not performing the song well enough. —Gaar Adams october 3, Literary Hub, 3 Oct. 2025

While there are a few male employees at Olta, most everything — from tending the crops to distilling the liquid to bottling it up — is done by women, a rarity in the machismo world of Mexican spirits. —Allyson Reedy, Denver Post, 24 Sep. 2025

Advertisement Gudsen's fractured identity—swaggering machismo versus devoted family man—might suggest dissociative identity disorder, but Lehane resists reducing him to a clinical label. —Jp Mangalindan, Time, 15 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from macho

First Known Use

1941, in the meaning defined at sense 1