macho 1 of 2

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

macho

2 of 2

adjective

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of macho
Noun
Armageddon’s appeal at the time had something to do with Deep Impact: Where Mimi Leder’s film was a sensitive, emotional attempt to look at the tragedy of a giant asteroid strike, Michael Bay’s was a macho indulgence in action-movie theatrics. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2025 Even macho sports culture shows evidence of these trends. Dave Smith, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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 See All Example Sentences for macho
Recent Examples of Synonyms for macho
Noun
  • My work offers a counterpoint to the isolation and performance that often shape contemporary masculinity.
    Vogue, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2025
  • But with the second trilogy, The Book of Dust, we are introduced to Malcolm Polstead who challenges toxic masculinity in many of the same ways as Will.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • Currents of fear and pain run beneath the hypermasculine bravado and gallows humor, often rising in the middle of the action.
    Pitchfork, Pitchfork, 30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • And that’s the end of the manly story.
    Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Fall is the time for manly men doing manly things.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The conservative desire to return to an earlier heyday—one that is rustic, masculine, and rugged, rather than soft, feminine, and urban—is ancient.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Loafers, softer and quite cozy or completely masculine.
    Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • All research seems to indicate that this back-to-back joke from 1985 was the lodestar for the meme of a socially inept teen feigning virile worldliness with a gal in America's northern neighbor country.
    Jordan Hoffman Updated, EW.com, 2 Aug. 2025
  • During his campaign for reelection in 2024, Trump, who turns 79 in June, sold digital trading cards that featured virile depictions of himself as a cowboy, superhero and astronaut, among other images.
    Elizabeth Crisp, The Hill, 24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • And while Sturm offers a small group of men’s options (the Face Cream Men doubles as an after-shave soother), some of her male clientele seem content to buy the primary unisex line.
    Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 18 Oct. 2025
  • But, in 1944, when the field of medical ethics was still developing, Ancel Keys, a physiologist at the University of Minnesota, recruited thirty-six male conscientious objectors to voluntarily starve themselves.
    Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Macho.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/macho. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

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