as in male
of, relating to, or marked by qualities traditionally associated with men
a manly deep voice
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Recent Examples of manly
Football tells a story of manly grit, with echoes of the battlefield.
—
Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 23 June 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
Blake Burgess exudes the manly demeanor and seriousness of Cash.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 26 Apr. 2025
And women who tried to build muscle were seen as manly or unnatural.
—Danielle Friedman, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for manly
Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 23 June 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
Blake Burgess exudes the manly demeanor and seriousness of Cash.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 26 Apr. 2025
And women who tried to build muscle were seen as manly or unnatural.
—Danielle Friedman, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for manly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manly
Adjective
-
The male fugitive was wanted on suspicion of a federal probation violation on an original charge of possession of drugs for distribution, according to a Marshals Service news release.—
Michelle Cruz,
AZCentral.com,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Best Actor was awarded to Korean actress Lee Jiwon for En Route To, while a separate Best Actor award went to the male ensemble cast – Takumi Kitamura, Go Ayano and Yuta Hayashi – of Japanese feature Baka’s Identity.—
Liz Shackleton,
Deadline,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The gulf between who Nelson really might be and how an aggregate of cultures—Colombian, American, capitalist, masculine—has molded him is the source of the play’s tragedy.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
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Young men are being labeled—and mocked—for taking on a persona that doesn’t conform to the traditional masculine stereotype, even though the traditional masculine stereotype is equally performative.—
Ashleigh N. DeLuca,
Parents,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Manly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manly. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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