manage

American  

[man-ij] / ˈmæn ɪdʒ /

verb (used with object)

• manages,
  present (3rd person singular)
• managed,
  past participle,  past
• managing
  present participle

1. 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?

   Synonyms:

   contrive, arrange

2. to take charge or care of.

   to manage my investments.

3. to dominate or influence (a person) by tact, flattery, or artifice.

   He manages the child with exemplary skill.

4. to handle, direct, govern, or control in action or use.

   She managed the boat efficiently.

   Synonyms:

   engineer, regulate, conduct, guide

5. to wield (a weapon, tool, etc.).

   Synonyms:

   manipulate, handle

6. to handle or train (a horse) in the exercises of the manège.

7. Archaic. to use sparingly or with judgment, as health or money; husband.

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verb (used without object)

• manages,
  present (3rd person singular)
• managed,
  past participle,  past
• managing
  present participle

1. to conduct business, commercial affairs, etc.; be in charge.

   Who will manage while the boss is away?

2. 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.

manage British  

/ ˈmænɪdʒ /

verb

1. (also intr) to be in charge (of); administer

   to manage one's affairs

   to manage a shop

2. to succeed in being able (to do something) despite obstacles; contrive

   did you manage to go to sleep?

3. to have room, time, etc, for

   can you manage dinner tomorrow?

4. to exercise control or domination over, often in a tactful or guileful manner

5. (intr) to contrive to carry on despite difficulties, esp financial ones

   he managed quite well on very little money

6. to wield or handle (a weapon)

7. rare to be frugal in the use of

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noun

1. an archaic word for manège

Synonym Usage

See rule.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• overmanage
  verb (used with object)
• undermanage
  verb (used with object)
• quasi-managed
  adjective
• self-managing
  adjective
• undermanaged
  adjective
• unmanaged
  adjective
• well-managed
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• managing
  present
• managed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• manage
  simple
• manages
  simple
• have managed
  perfect
• has managed
  perfect
• am managing
  progressive
• are managing
  progressive
• is managing
  progressive
• have been managing
  perfect progressive
• has been managing
  perfect progressive

Past

• managed
  simple
• had managed
  perfect
• was managing
  progressive
• were managing
  progressive
• had been managing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will manage
  simple
• will have managed
  perfect
• will be managing
  progressive
• will have been managing
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

manage manages managed managing

Although exercise, physical therapy, weight management, and medications can help manage symptoms, there is currently no established treatment that reliably restores cartilage lost to osteoarthritis.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026

On Friday, Dacus said the group could expand in-house production expertise to manage its supply chain more proactively.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli, using the Mercedes upgrade that underperformed in Malaysia while Russell is on the previous specification, could manage only seventh.

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

Whilst there is no standard practice for organising international professional friendlies, smaller African teams generally rely on agencies to manage their away fixtures and don't necessarily make any profit from the games.

From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026

After the first hour I myself manage to relax, comforted by the routine numbness of my job, the way it allows your mind to go blank as your fingers do all the work.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

Graham Capital manages around $23 billion in total assets, split roughly evenly between systematic and discretionary strategies.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026

The National Trust for Jersey, which celebrated its 90th anniversary in August, manages about 1,800 vergées of land across the island.

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026

Separately, it manages the likenesses of celebrities and athletes including Shaquille O’Neal and David Beckham.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

Los Angeles City Charter Amendment LA looks to change the way the city manages its budget and administers public works to more efficiently deliver basic city services such as repairing streets and sidewalks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

He manages to get me to school on time—early, even.

From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper

Stafford was asked this week how he managed to stay calm, not feel rattled and still take shots at clutch plays after committing turnovers in a hostile environment.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026

Yet Ditka somehow managed to surpass all of that once he hung up his helmet and started roaming the sidelines in aviator sunglasses and a sweater-vest.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

Those who had invested in funds managed by Tera had earned record profits over 90 billion lira, he told Sabah newspaper.

From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026

In June, the 46-year-old shared that she and Jelly Roll have managed to navigate what she described as the “best divorce.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026

Still, Maggie managed to keep her promise … until she heard from the First Lady of the United States.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

When discussing JPM, Stucky said: “They are not managing to be the most efficient, but they have been outgrowing the industry by directing capital to where it will benefit the most in the longer run.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 11, 2026

The programme includes face-to-face workshops and informal peer support social groups and covers a range of topics, including managing anxiety and stress and boosting self-esteem.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026

This means the signals it delivers can be adjusted to suit a patient's needs, potentially giving healthcare providers greater flexibility in managing conditions that involve abnormal or unwanted nerve activity.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 11, 2026

I continued managing his care and protecting him, but I also did not want to take away something that brought him happiness.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026

But Todd had longer legs and was managing to keep just outside her reach.

From "Hopping Mad (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #4)" by Franklin W. Dixon

Related Words

• administer
• conduct
• dominate
• govern
• guide
• handle
• maintain
• operate
• oversee
• regulate
• run
• supervise
• take care of
• take over
• train
• use