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
  • How old was Christopher Reeve when he was paralyzed?
    Maddie Garfinkle, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Hong Kong/Tokyo — Japan’s favorite beer brand is reeling from a cyberattack that paralyzed its production last week.
    John Liu, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • That same year, millions of plaintiffs filed an antitrust class action lawsuit seeking over $1 billion in damages that alleged Sutter Health overcharged customers and companies for health care bills and discouraged clients from using other lower-cost services.
    Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Meanwhile, Beijing has reportedly been discouraging local firms from buying Nvidia chips.
    Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Like the Earth sign, the righteous dog detective Scooby doesn't appreciate confrontation and gets frightened in scary situations.
    Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Lina sniffs, stamps her feet in the snow to make her own set of giant prints to frighten this creature.
    Hazlitt, Hazlitt, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Laurene Allen, an environmental advocate who lives in Merrimack, New Hampshire, where PFNA was one of several forever chemicals discovered in drinking water in 2016, was awaiting the report and is frustrated and enraged by its delay.
    Sharon Lerner, ProPublica, 10 Oct. 2025
  • The heated debate around the City Hall Project and picking apart the budget were two experiences in particular that frustrated Nguyen.
    Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Mariners are terrified of the Carpenter versus Kirby matchup.
    The Athletic MLB Staff, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
  • The weight of it terrified her; That Rock seemed to want to pull her somewhere deep inside the ground.
    Hazlitt, Hazlitt, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Alarr’s unwelcome physical touching made Plaintiff feel offended, uncomfortable, humiliated and intimidated.
    Lynette Rice, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Don’t let the size of this plant intimidate you.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 12 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Although Fish Hut Grill typically has a line out its door, don't let that scare you away.
    Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 12 Oct. 2025
  • One great line to defend against and three others that won’t scare opposing head coaches.
    Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • And yet precisely this dynamic ensures that commitment between men, the kind of domesticity that David and Giovanni attempt to establish in Giovanni’s room, can only ever be emasculating.
    Garth Greenwell, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
  • By emasculating standards for performance, equity grading has both encouraged and hidden academic dysfunction.
    Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 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.

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Cite this Entry

“Unman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unman. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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