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

Iran believes the agreement gives it the right to manage traffic through the strait and wants ships to pass through a northern route along the Iranian coast.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

When a newly confirmed district judge takes the bench, the FJC teaches him how to manage a docket, handle complex evidence and run a courtroom.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 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

Discovery shareholders and to manage escalating legal fees from a half-dozen law firms hired to help defend the merger.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026

Now my hands were pointing and waving, and I got my eyes into the meanest slits I could manage.

From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan

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

"For 10 years, we have been producing a constant 300,000 cubic metres per year" of drinking water, said Fabio Pupillo, an engineer for Sopes, the company that manages the desalination plant in Vulcano.

From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 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

She almost manages to slide off his shoulder, but he just hitches her back up and marches off.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

Despite this, England adapted well and never seemed to be struggling due to the external factors imposed on them during games - or at least, managed to struggle less than their opponents.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

He finally managed to fulfil his dream of winning the trophy at Qatar 2022, helping make up for past pain including the 2014 final defeat by Germany in Rio de Janeiro.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

Monroe said that he had seen “numbers ranging from 50% to 70%” as estimates for the percentage of money invested in the small-cap space through passively managed index funds, up from roughly 20% in 2002.

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

“Please,” Jonah said, and he was proud of himself, that he’d managed to say that much when he was feeling so jangly and strange.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Farzin Azarm, managing director of equities trading at Mizuho Securities, said the recent selloff in South Korean stocks has started to make him nervous.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 16, 2026

Sarah's experience reflects a wider trend of more than four fifths of women being actively involved in managing daily finances like day-to-day spending and household budgeting, according to St James's Place's Women and Wealth Report.

From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026

“Each side is taking risks with this case,” said Michael Morris, a senior managing director of Guggenheim Securities.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026

Base fees, or what BlackRock collects from clients for managing their money, rose 8% from a year earlier when stripping out the impact of market moves.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

“Bailey,” his mother says, managing to turn his name into a disappointment-laced admonishment.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

Related Words

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