manly

man·ly | \ ˈman-lē

How to pronounce manly (audio)

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Definition of manly

(Entry 1 of 2)

: in a manly manner

manly

manlier; manliest

Definition of manly (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : having qualities generally associated with a man : strong, virile

2 : appropriate in character to a man manly sports

Other Words from manly Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about manly

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Examples of manly in a Sentence

Adjective He wasn't manly enough to fight. He has a deep, manly voice.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb The company recruited figures from the sports world—the NASCAR driver Mark Martin, the soccer player Pelé, the baseball player Rafael Palmeiro—to star in ads that emphasized men being classically manly: speeding, winning, overcoming. — Megan Garber, The Atlantic, "Jagged Little (Blue) Pill," 27 Mar. 2018 Ranching work was challenging, manly and allowed black people to make as much as whites. — The Economist, "Restoring black Americans to the saddle," 25 Jan. 2018 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Bumppo was also called La Longue Carabine—being a manly man, of course his rifle had to be enormous. — Lauren Groff, Harper's magazine, "Waiting for the End of the World," 1 Mar. 2020 Kirk Douglas, who died on Feb. 5 at age 103, defined the ideal manly-man persona of the 1950s, often giving electrically appealing performances while playing less-than-exemplary characters. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, "Remembering Kirk Douglas, One of the Last Surviving Links to Old Hollywood," 5 Feb. 2020 The result was an immediate success as American hunters scrambled to own and hunt with one of these new, powerful, manly rifles. — Ron Spomer, Outdoor Life, ".308 Win. vs .300 Win. Mag: Ballistics, Cost, and Accuracy," 3 May 2019 For the manly drinker — and eater — Staropolska offers options aplenty. — Rand Richards Cooper, courant.com, "Review: At Staropolska in New Britain, huge portions of hearty authentic Polish fare, great for a cold winter night," 13 Nov. 2019 DiCaprio is heartrending as Rick, who seeks solace in booze and breaks into not-too-manly tears on a regular basis. — Laura Demarco, cleveland.com, "Quentin Tarantino’s brilliant, audacious “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” brings 1969 to vivid life (review)," 24 July 2019 Like, why are certain types of music not considered manly, but metal is? — Randy Cordova, azcentral, "'The Art of Self-Defense' filmmaker Riley Stearns talks toxic masculinity and tattoos," 18 July 2019 Gears 5 begins by focusing on JD, the son of badass gruff manly man Marcus Fenix, who was the protagonist of the first generation of games. — Wired, "Gears 5: A War Game That Really Deals with War Trauma," 5 Sep. 2019 This leads many women to either avoid negotiating all together or to carry the stigma of being aggressive, ambitious, and manly which leads to backlash down the road. — Kara Stevens, Essence, "Black Women’s Pay Day Is Today. Be Mad And Get Money, Sis," 22 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'manly.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Manly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/manly. Accessed 30 Mar. 2020.

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More Definitions for manly

manly

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of manly

: having or showing qualities (such as strength or courage) that are expected in a man

See the full definition for manly in the English Language Learners Dictionary

manly

man·ly | \ ˈman-lē

\

manlier; manliest

Kids Definition of manly

: having or showing qualities (as strength or courage) often felt to be proper for a man a manly voice

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