adj ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Adjective

1. 1
   Showing the characteristics considered typical of a man; macho or manly.

   "If Cousin wasn’t trying so hard to be manful, he’d be crying."

2. 2
   Courageous; noble; high-minded. broadly

Adjective

1. 1
   possessing qualities befitting a man wordnet
2. 2
   characteristic of a man wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

boldbravebullchivalrouscombativecourageous

Example

More examples

"If Cousin wasn’t trying so hard to be manful, he’d be crying."

Etymology

From Middle English manful, manfull, equivalent to man + -ful.

Related phrases

high minded

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.