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

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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
The 5-foot-10, 196-pound Alexander is a pretend macho, tough guy. Rob Reischel, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024 The father wants the boy to be a macho because surely his own father forced him to be one. John Hopewell, Variety, 5 Aug. 2024
Adjective
Like a Faustian figure, Kilmer’s Elvis plays to Clarence’s macho aspiration. Beatrice Loayza, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2025 At first, Bacon’s macho lead role seems like a run-of-the-mill badass: All one-liners, muscles and cool-guy poses. William Earl, Variety, 3 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for macho
Recent Examples of Synonyms for macho
Noun
  • The Unhealthy Balance in Men’s Health Erectile dysfunction has been and continues to be an incredibly delicate issue for many men, primarily because of the ways in which it is wrapped up in the concept of masculinity.
    William Jones, USA Today, 7 May 2025
  • American leaders had framed participation in the Revolution as a litmus test of masculinity, patriotism, and commitment to liberty among American men.
    Time, Time, 5 May 2025
Adjective
  • For a generation of music-and-fashion obsessives, Williams, 52, is revered as the original hip-hop eccentric: highly expressive, unapologetically audacious, unafraid to flout menswear conventions, especially the hypermasculine tropes ascribed to rap music.
    Chioma Nnadi, Vogue, 15 Apr. 2025
  • Some Republican women who might have considered running also balked at campaigning in the hypermasculine politics of the moment.
    Jennifer Berry Hawes, ProPublica, 22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Making money has long been manly in the Trumpian universe, but now so is losing it.
    Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 9 May 2025
  • Today’s Wordle Etymology Macho comes from the Spanish word meaning ‘male’ or ‘manly’ which was derived from the Latin masculus, also the root of the English masculine.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 7 May 2025
Adjective
  • Levant encouraged men to take this time to think about masculine ideologies they were taught at a young age and be open to expressing vulnerability more genuinely.
    Greta Cross, USA Today, 21 May 2025
  • Plus, there’s plenty to dissect about how much the show was about the masculine fantasies of the War on Terror.
    Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 17 May 2025
Adjective
  • 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
  • In The Empire’s frame, residents of a coastal village in northern France — gruff, virile fisherman Jony (Brandon Vlieghe) and teenage tease Line (Lyna Khoudri) — reveal their oddball allegiance to extraterrestrial invaders.
    Armond White, National Review, 14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Ferrell's Ricky Bobby also serves as a pitch-perfect parody of the ego-driven, preening male protagonists of many a racing film.
    James Mercadante, EW.com, 20 May 2025
  • Despite the hormonal findings, the zoo stated Qing Bao isn't ready to mate just yet (and male pandas don't start mating until at least 5 years old).
    Rachel Raposas, People.com, 20 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Macho.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/macho. Accessed 27 May. 2025.

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