manly

[man-lee]

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adjective, man·li·er, man·li·est.

having qualities traditionally ascribed to men, as strength or bravery.
pertaining to or suitable for males: manly sports.

adverb

Archaic. in a manly manner.

Origin of manly

before 900; Middle English (adj., adv.); Old English manlīc (adj.), manlīce (adv.). See man¹, -ly

Related formsman·li·ness, noun

Synonyms for manly

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Manly, manful, mannish mean having the traits or qualities that a culture regards as especially characteristic of or ideally appropriate to adult men. Manly is usually a term of approval, suggesting traits admired by society, such as determination, decisiveness, and steadiness: a manly acceptance of the facts; manly firmness of character. Manful, also a term of approval, stresses qualities such as courage, strength, and fortitude: a manful effort to overcome great odds. Mannish is most often used derogatorily in reference to the traits, manners, or accouterments of a woman that are thought to be more appropriate to or typical of a man: a mannish abruptness in her speech; She wore a severely mannish suit. See also male.

Antonyms for manly

1. weak, cowardly.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for manliness

strength, boldness, courage, virility, manhood

Examples from the Web for manliness

Contemporary Examples of manliness

Later, after taking his own shirt off in a supposed show of manliness, Dre freaked out when Andre Jr. copied him.
Why ‘Black-ish’ Has a Gay Problem
Tim Teeman
October 3, 2014
Another tradition of manliness would point them toward discipline, sacrifice, and self-denial.
Alleged Santa Barbara Killer Elliot Rodger and the Twisted Cult of Modern Masculinity
James Poulos
May 26, 2014
The reason, Foster argues, is that impotence implies a lack of virility, a lack of manliness.
What the Sex Lives of the Founding Fathers Reveal About Us
Eric Herschthal
February 21, 2014
Perched atop a mountain of wavy, pulled-back hair is a mangled ball of manliness, a holdover from the days of the samurai.
Joakim Noah Has the Manliest Bun Ever
Sujay Kumar
May 15, 2013
I doubt you could have prevented the killing of their female partners by redefining their sense of manliness.
Pundits Pin Blame for Murderer Jovan Belcher on Everything But Him
Buzz Bissinger
December 5, 2012

Historical Examples of manliness

It is astounding how ill-endowed Shakespeare was on the side of manliness.
The Man Shakespeare
Frank Harris
What perceptible sign of mature age or manliness is there about him?
The International Monthly, Volume 3, No. 2, May, 1851
Various
And yet I could not help wondering at his natural temperance and self-restraint and manliness.
Symposium
Plato
He don't like me, that's all, and he has n't the manliness to say it.
Davenport Dunn, Volume 1 (of 2)
Charles James Lever
"That more than repays me for all I did," said Paul, in a tone of mingled modesty and manliness.
Paul Prescott's Charge
Horatio Alger

British Dictionary definitions for manliness

manly

adjective -lier or -liest

possessing qualities, such as vigour or courage, generally regarded as appropriate to or typical of a man; masculine
characteristic of or befitting a mana manly sport

Derived Formsmanliness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for manliness

late 14c., from manly + -ness.

manly

adj.

c.1200, "human; characteristic of human beings," from man (n.) + -ly (1). Sense of "possessing virtues proper to a male person" (resoluteness, steadfastness, reliability) is from early 13c. Meaning "masculine" is attested from late 14c. Old English had werlic "male, masculine, manly."