Synonym Chooser

How does the verb unman differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of unman are emasculate, enervate, and unnerve. While all these words mean "to deprive of strength or vigor and the capacity for effective action," unman implies a loss of manly vigor, fortitude, or spirit.

a soldier unmanned by the terrors of battle

In what contexts can emasculate take the place of unman?

The words emasculate and unman are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, emasculate stresses a depriving of characteristic force by removing something essential.

an amendment that emasculates existing safeguards

Where would enervate be a reasonable alternative to unman?

The words enervate and unman can be used in similar contexts, but enervate suggests a gradual physical or moral weakening (as through luxury or indolence) until one is too feeble to make an effort.

a nation's youth enervated by affluence and leisure

When is it sensible to use unnerve instead of unman?

While in some cases nearly identical to unman, unnerve implies marked often temporary loss of courage, self-control, or power to act.

unnerved by the near collision

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unman
Verb
  • Trump deserves credit for ignoring the voices in Washington who counsel inaction out of an understandable but often paralyzing fear of unintended consequences.
    The Editors, National Review, 24 June 2025
  • To all who saw Iran as a behemoth, were daunted by its deterrence and paralyzed by its threats, these are days of reckoning.
    HUSSEIN AGHA, Foreign Affairs, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • While global finance institutions and investors have long been interested in diversifying to China, Beijing’s strict controls on capital outflows and relatively opaque system have discouraged large-scale buying of mainland China assets.
    Lee Ying Shan,Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 25 June 2025
  • Meanwhile, rent control and other well-meaning interventions often backfire by discouraging investment and reducing housing availability in the long run.
    Alexander Frei, Boston Herald, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • The woman inside banged pots and pans and screamed at the bear to try to frighten it away, officials said.
    Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 25 June 2025
  • Winston Churchill said the U-boat peril was the only thing that really frightened him during World War II.
    Carl Burdette, Baltimore Sun, 22 June 2025
Verb
  • Retailers have sought to prevent theft without compromising the customer experience as traditional approaches such as locking up products can frustrate shoppers and have been found to lower sales.
    Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025
  • And after reports surfaced that Boston had grown frustrated with the star slugger not conducting postgame TV interviews, Devers did exactly that in his first week in San Francisco.
    Sam Settleman, New York Times, 22 June 2025
Verb
  • The loud noises terrify many dogs and cats into running away — which is easier with more doors opening during parties.
    Jen Reeder, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • The women on the ward were terrified by the sudden invasion of masked people.
    Zadie Smith, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
Verb
  • Her longstanding reputation for being intimidating was thought to have inspired Miranda Priestly's character in The Devil Wears Prada, a book written by her former assistant Lauren Weisberger and later made into a movie starring Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep.
    Colleen Kratofil, People.com, 26 June 2025
  • How Unions are Stepping in to Fill Governance Gaps Unions have observed that many workers feel intimidated by the technical nature of AI and are uneasy when discussing their concerns with their employers.
    Oludolapo Makinde, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
Verb
  • The chemistry is real, but Nic scares me for Olandria.
    Julia Moore, People.com, 27 June 2025
  • The camper attempted to scare off the bear by banging pots and pans and screaming at the bear.
    Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 27 June 2025
Verb
  • For me, kilts, pearls, shirts on the head, these are all things that were meant to be like, emasculated and meant to look feminine.
    Brenton Blanchet, People.com, 1 May 2025
  • Women in these relationships were cast as disruptors of traditional gender roles, while men in these relationships were portrayed as emasculated.
    Kim Elsesser, Forbes.com, 5 May 2025
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unman. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!