manspread

American  

[man-spred] / ˈmænˌsprɛd /

verb (used without object)

Informal.

1. (of a man) to sit with one's legs far apart, taking up too much space on a seat shared with other people.

   guys who manspread on the subway.

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Other Word Forms

• manspreading
  noun

Etymology

Origin of manspread

First recorded in 2010–15; man ( def. ) + spread ( def. )

Example Sentences

In the front row, a group of boys competitively manspread and occasionally burst into overloud laughter at obscure jokes.

From The Guardian • Feb. 8, 2020

"We have to be elegant; we have to worry about not showing the shape of our bodies. The men, they manspread and no-one bats an eye," she says.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2019

In her artist statement, Savery said she posed with a manspread and “casual lean” to “illustrate how body posture contributes to gender stereotypical impressions”.

From The Guardian • Oct. 31, 2018

Or maybe the guy in the next seat finally achieved a 180-degree manspread.

From New York Times • Apr. 6, 2018

He sat but did not manspread, something of an accomplishment for a man with an enlarged prostate.

From Washington Post • Jan. 26, 2018