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
His growth in college and his growth on this campus just as a man, as a confident, manly, good person that’s all about team.
—
Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 15 Feb. 2026
Regardless of whether another installment of that spinoff will come to fruition, Lord Anderson might have the opportunity to provide manly advice for the Bridgerton boys, who have had to figure out matters of the heart largely without their father present.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 30 Jan. 2026
There are those drunken, manly ones who want to get it.
—David Searcy, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
The crowd applauds for 13 seconds both at the intense, almost Chris Farley–esque yell itself and the absurdity of Maron’s desire to be a manly coward.
—John Roy, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for manly
Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 15 Feb. 2026
Regardless of whether another installment of that spinoff will come to fruition, Lord Anderson might have the opportunity to provide manly advice for the Bridgerton boys, who have had to figure out matters of the heart largely without their father present.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 30 Jan. 2026
There are those drunken, manly ones who want to get it.
—David Searcy, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
The crowd applauds for 13 seconds both at the intense, almost Chris Farley–esque yell itself and the absurdity of Maron’s desire to be a manly coward.
—John Roy, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for manly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for manly
Adjective
-
The clip, only about 12 seconds long, which first surfaced on Reddit before being deleted and later reposted on X, shows several male fans seated in the upper deck performing what appears to be the gesture in unison.—
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
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But the organ that senses those hormones is usually separate from the one that delivers the sperm; in male octopuses, the hectocotylus does both.—
Cody Cottier,
Scientific American,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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By combining elements of traditional masculine dressing with the traditionally feminine ballet flat, brands are participating in the trend without alienating shoppers.—
Jack Stanley,
Vogue,
31 Mar. 2026
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Krapp is a farce of masculine pride, chronic bachelorhood, and, ultimately, intense loneliness; Transcription is a farce of responsibility and overwhelming attachment.—
Hannah Gold,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Manly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/manly. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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