Adjective
He wasn't manly enough to fight.
He has a deep, manly voice.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
In a cumulation of centuries-old and harmful beliefs, many men believe ‘manly’ self-care falls within the confines of the gym or work.—Kyle J. Russell, USA TODAY, 11 May 2024 Hayes, who now has a solo career, manly stubble, and a fully functioning frontal lobe, comes back to Solène.—Lyz Lenz, Rolling Stone, 7 May 2024 But Nixon had a decent respect for the opinion of those New York Times readers and, in my personal observation, was too patriotic to go full, manly man authoritarian.—Neal B. Freeman, National Review, 6 May 2024 This manly scent comes in a 1.7oz container and is made in New York.—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 5 Apr. 2024 Because what's manlier than being the king of the castle, right?—Philip Ellis, Men's Health, 12 July 2023 Bellocchio pulled Scorsese in close for a manly pat on the back.—Manuela Santacatterina, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Feb. 2024 Gone are the manly traits of our forefathers: stoicism, reliability, strength, and dignity.—Christian Schneider, National Review, 1 Feb. 2024 Still, the young men’s fathers each felt their son had a manly duty to serve.—Natalia Abbakumova, Washington Post, 14 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'manly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Adverb
Middle English manli "befitting a man, bravely, resolutely, courteously," going back to Old English manliche, from manman entry 1 + -liche-ly entry 2
Adjective
Middle English manli "human, male, brave, resolute, noble," from manman entry 1 + -li-ly entry 1
First Known Use
Adverb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
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