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

Storage levels are closely watched because reserves help manage winter heating demand and protect against supply disruptions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

An aging population will affect how people live, how they work, what they buy and how they manage their money.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026

The actor CCH Pounder, Saar’s longtime friend and travel companion, attributes Saar’s ability to manage three children, a home, multiple paying jobs and an artistic practice of her own to a form of “mother wit.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026

To help fill the staffing gap, the FAA said it expects five supervisors and, by the end of July, four trainees to be qualified to help manage traffic.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

Her oldest sister knew how to manage their spirit angels and keep human devils at bay.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

As performed by Price, Baez and Memphis Mariachi, their version of “Deportee” manages to be everything: a lament, a celebration of the lives lost, a tribute, a reminder.

From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026

I was recently contacted by the brokerage firm that manages about $500,000 of my investments.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026

Before Apollo swooped in, EasyJet looked set to be taken private by Castlelake, which manages around $38 billion in assets, after the carrier accepted its beefed-up fifth bid on Sunday.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

Here, Wain manages to squeeze in a couple of rising talents: Gutierrez-Riley’s steady, supportive Otto and Wang’s scene-stealing motormouth, a lighter take on the anxious braggart he played in last fall’s “The Long Walk.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 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

While he has managed to ascend to the Labour leadership and the cusp of No 10 without revealing his wider policy plans, there is a fairly recent text already out there.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

He may not have managed to win the World Cup on the pitch, but he's arguably won the commercial game off it.

From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026

Records show that the property was purchased through a trust managed by an accounting firm located in the same office as Plaza’s production company, Evil Hag Productions.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026

United said New York airspace is being managed safely and more efficiently after the FAA’s recent efforts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

Katherine must have managed to hit the right buttons, because Curtis Rathbone disappeared from sight.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

His father had various jobs, selling picture frames at one point, later managing a fruit store.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

A Defense Department agreement would mark the latest deal between SpaceX and the Pentagon, which relies on the company for launching rockets and managing satellites for communications and missile tracking.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

“In something like that, you’ll probably correct at least 40%, if not more,” Ted Oakley, the founder and managing partner of Oxbow Advisors, told The Julia La Roche show in an episode that aired Thursday.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026

France, meanwhile, must prepare for the third-place play-off after being frustrated by a midfield masterclass and managing just three attempts on target.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

Imagining managing my own label, my own salary.

From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas

Related Words

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