as in masculinity
the set of qualities considered appropriate for or characteristic of men
their annual guys-only hunting trip is a celebration of macho
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in hypermasculine
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of macho
Erin Mansfield, USA TODAY, 20 Oct. 2024
The 5-foot-10, 196-pound Alexander is a pretend macho, tough guy.
—Rob Reischel, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
The onetime wannabe Broadway producer brought his particular style of late 20th century over-the-top macho taste to political events, elevating professional wrestling to the Republican National Convention and inviting the 1980s icons Sylvester Stallone and Mike Tyson to the White House.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for macho
Noun
An ode to Arnold Palmer The rally, at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport, named for the late champion pro golfer, was a macho and, at times, off-color affair.
—Erin Mansfield, USA TODAY, 20 Oct. 2024
The 5-foot-10, 196-pound Alexander is a pretend macho, tough guy.
—Rob Reischel, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024
Adjective
By contrast, Farmer’s book editor Davis is charming and ebullient, but also vain, dishonest, overtly macho and misogynistic.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
The onetime wannabe Broadway producer brought his particular style of late 20th century over-the-top macho taste to political events, elevating professional wrestling to the Republican National Convention and inviting the 1980s icons Sylvester Stallone and Mike Tyson to the White House.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 24 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for macho
Recent Examples of Synonyms for macho
Noun
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There's no question that Wansack has perfected his curly routine (the proof is in his videos), but the ritual represents his commitment to challenging toxic masculinity.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
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Throughout the 1900s, and even into the ‘80s and ’90s, women often were encouraged to be more effeminate, and male counterparts were told to embrace their masculinity.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Mainly promoted by male influencers who apparently have a bone to pick with birth-control-using women, this claim rests on several overtly problematic assumptions, say, that all women would be best off with hypermasculine men and that attraction hinges only on appearance.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
13 Nov. 2025
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Synopsis reads: Through a lyrical blend of memory, vérité, and poetic imagery, the protagonists navigate the rodeo’s hypermasculine tradition to find belonging within their community and within themselves.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
There are those drunken, manly ones who want to get it.—
David Searcy,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
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Being a Harvard grad, he’s never been mistaken for a particularly manly man.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
17 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Instead, Carnahan, who’s made other weighty masculine dramas such as Narc, The Grey, and Copshop, is mostly devoted to exploring how a large sum of money starts breeding suspicion among colleagues.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
21 Jan. 2026
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The nights are packed with about 1,500 people who cheer, dance and sing, spurred on by the positivity of the series that celebrates masculine vulnerability.—
R. Daniel Foster,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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And if the ecological action epic of 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water allowed the flower child side to dominate the auteur’s inner grunt, now the macho warrior re-emerges, hungry and determined and surprisingly virile.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
16 Dec. 2025
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Rather than prizing animals for their beauty, their virile traits or their straight-up cool characteristics, frogposting is all about vulnerable animals—the dweebs of the animal kingdom.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
3 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
All of Russia is centered around Putin’s rule, and Putin is represented as the powerful male leader upon whose shoulders Russian greatness rests.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Jan. 2026
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Government entities that fail to clearly designate facilities as either male or female could face a $25,000 fine for a first violation and a $125,000 fine for subsequent violations.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Macho.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/macho. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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