unmanly
Americanadjective
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not manly; not characteristic of or befitting a man; weak, timid, or cowardly.
adjective
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not masculine or virile
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ignoble, cowardly, or dishonourable
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unmanly
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at un- 1, manly
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It also revealed that I’ve been fibbing to myself: Much as I consider myself enlightened, being unmanly in an era that worships machismo does bug me a little.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
"In this category, he exhibits one of the most unmanly of behaviors: He's a blamer," Nichols writes.
From Salon ● May 25, 2020
While soccer is the global game, the CPL is describing their brand as “distinctly Canadian”, an attacking hard-nosed style where the feigning of phantom injuries is seen as unmanly.
From Reuters ● Oct. 31, 2019
Crying was never considered shameful or unmanly – I just never got around to it.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 3, 2019
And it seemed to me that there was something unmanly about my attachment to literature.
From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
