manage
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to bring about or succeed in accomplishing, sometimes despite difficulty or hardship.
She managed to see the governor. How does she manage it on such a small income?
-
to take charge or care of.
to manage my investments.
-
to dominate or influence (a person) by tact, flattery, or artifice.
He manages the child with exemplary skill.
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to handle, direct, govern, or control in action or use.
She managed the boat efficiently.
-
to wield (a weapon, tool, etc.).
- Synonyms:
- manipulate, handle
-
to handle or train (a horse) in the exercises of the manège.
-
Archaic. to use sparingly or with judgment, as health or money; husband.
verb (used without object)
-
to conduct business, commercial affairs, etc.; be in charge.
Who will manage while the boss is away?
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to continue to function, progress, or succeed, usually despite hardship or difficulty; get along.
How will he manage with his wife gone? It was a rough time, but we managed.
verb
-
(also intr) to be in charge (of); administer
to manage one's affairs
to manage a shop
-
to succeed in being able (to do something) despite obstacles; contrive
did you manage to go to sleep?
-
to have room, time, etc, for
can you manage dinner tomorrow?
-
to exercise control or domination over, often in a tactful or guileful manner
-
(intr) to contrive to carry on despite difficulties, esp financial ones
he managed quite well on very little money
-
to wield or handle (a weapon)
-
rare to be frugal in the use of
noun
Synonym Usage
See rule.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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overmanageverb (used with object)
-
undermanageverb (used with object)
-
quasi-managedadjective
-
self-managingadjective
-
undermanagedadjective
-
unmanagedadjective
-
well-managedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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managesimple
-
managessimple
-
have managedperfect
-
has managedperfect
-
am managingprogressive
-
are managingprogressive
-
is managingprogressive
-
have been managingperfect progressive
-
has been managingperfect progressive
Past
-
managedsimple
-
had managedperfect
-
was managingprogressive
-
were managingprogressive
-
had been managingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of manage
First recorded in 1555–65; earlier manege, from Italian maneggiare “to handle, train (horses),” derivative of mano, from Latin manus “hand”
Explanation
To manage is to skillfully handle something. If you can barely manage to keep your goldfish alive, you should probably think twice about adopting those Golden Retriever puppies. The verb manage also means to supervise or oversee either things or people at work. You might manage six people at the donut shop, even though you've only worked there for four months. If you carefully manage your donut shop earnings, you should be able to buy that new car next year. Manage also means to cope with or come to terms with. It might seem scary to go to college in another state, but I know you'll manage.
Vocabulary lists containing manage
"Seventh Grade" by Gary Soto
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"Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" by Rudyard Kipling
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"Thank You, M'am"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
I’m a social work professor who studies how people manage their money and their well-being.
From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026
The site is increasingly looking like the centre of a party, with volunteers doing their best to manage the crowds.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
About 23.6 million adults care for older parents, and many haven’t talked about the practical realities they might eventually have to manage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
GLP-1 medications commonly used to manage type 2 diabetes and obesity may be associated with a modest increase in hair loss, according to a study published by The BMJ on July 22, 2026.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026
Once we finally manage to keep enough sticks to hand out, we give one to everyone and stand by the river.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
The company currently manages over 7 billion devices in real time.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
“Obsession” never manages to say anything that hasn’t been said in five more interesting ways by other recent films, several of which were released this year.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
"The life lessons that you learn through football aren't just on the pitch, not just about winning and losing," says Pomroy, who manages this project while coaching in India.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
“It just feels like gross negligence,” said Rachel White, 31, at the site of the farmers market she manages.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
So around December 10, Jo goes to Montmartre, Theo’s neighborhood, and manages to run into him.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
Johnson managed to cover his wedding booking on Saturday, praising his "amazing assistant" James Musselwhite for driving from Portsmouth to help him out.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
The company’s other co-founders, Parillo, a musician, and Barbara O’Brien, who managed the drummer, each retained their original 10% stake.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
“Regeneron has managed to deliver time and time again.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
Somehow, he managed to restrain himself from bending to one knee and kissing the president’s ring.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
All the calm she’d managed to take into herself cracked.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Regulators are wrestling with the arrangements, which have led to a surge in “affiliated” transactions where the private-asset firms are managing the investments for their insurance units.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
"Whoever does not move with the times will disappear in time," the 42-year-old managing director told AFP.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
“Unfortunately, our investigation has identified several individuals who apparently abused their position of trust for personal gain,” says Peter Luccarelli, a managing partner at Brightpoint.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
It turns out that managing cash flow, planning for retirement and building, and maintaining a diversified portfolio requires a healthy dose of human judgment.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
He insisted that the doctors in Lahore share all his test results with him, spoke to them on the phone daily, and almost seemed to be managing everything from over here.
From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
