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macho

/ˈmɑtʃoʊ/
/ˈmɒtʃəʊ/
IPA guide

Other forms: machos

A man who's aggressively masculine can be described as macho. A boxer might try to intimidate his opponent by walking into the ring with a macho swagger.

To be macho is to display a tough, fierce, overly confident facade. A man who's macho would never cry or sip a cup of tea or pet a kitten, because none of these things would be seen as "manly" enough. In Spanish, macho means "male animal," from the Latin root masculus, also "male," but also "worthy of a man."

Definitions of macho
  1. adjective
    used of men; markedly masculine in appearance or manner
    synonyms: butch
    masculine
    associated with men and not with women
  2. noun
    a male exhibiting or characterized by machismo
    see moresee less
    type of:
    male, male person
    a person who belongs to the sex that cannot have babies
Pronunciation
US
/ˈmɑtʃoʊ/
UK
/ˈmɒtʃəʊ/
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