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

Her ex-husband, Logan (Owen McDonnell), is a narcissistic man-child, so there’s no help coming from him, nor her elderly parents (one of whom has lost two toes to diabetes). — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 18 Sep. 2026

Yet, walking proved too difficult for this unprepared man-child and that plan was easily abandoned, not the first commitment this author can’t stick with. — The Know, Denver Post, 13 Sep. 2026

Or Mark Loring in 2007’s Juno, the prospective adoptive dad revealed to be a boundary-crossing man-child. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 17 Aug. 2026

Julio, the bratty, charming man-child, is the lecturer. — Adam Moss, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026

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