as in maleness
the set of qualities considered appropriate for or characteristic of men
some men believe that wearing pink would undermine their masculinity
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of masculinity
Falling for Valeria offers escape but threatens the fragile masculinity, peer loyalty and privileges that define him.
—
Callum McLennan, Variety, 11 May 2026
The central monologue is brutally honest, giving voice to issues that are rarely voiced in such a relatable fashion onscreen, including toxic masculinity and negative body image within the gay community.
—David Opie, IndieWire, 4 May 2026
The addition of spoken word passages by local Geordie poet Cooper Robson, who drifts through balladic descriptions of community, working-class masculinity, and pickled onions, aids Knats in their explorations of their hometown.
—Archie Forde, Pitchfork, 1 May 2026
As Niall and Ruben, stepbrothers locked in a toxic relationship over the course of 30 years, Robertson (played by Jamie Bell as an adult) and Campbell (Gadd as an adult) bring the series’ explosive depiction of modern masculinity to life as exquisitely as their older counterparts.
—Barry Levitt, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for masculinity
Callum McLennan, Variety, 11 May 2026
The central monologue is brutally honest, giving voice to issues that are rarely voiced in such a relatable fashion onscreen, including toxic masculinity and negative body image within the gay community.
—David Opie, IndieWire, 4 May 2026
The addition of spoken word passages by local Geordie poet Cooper Robson, who drifts through balladic descriptions of community, working-class masculinity, and pickled onions, aids Knats in their explorations of their hometown.
—Archie Forde, Pitchfork, 1 May 2026
As Niall and Ruben, stepbrothers locked in a toxic relationship over the course of 30 years, Robertson (played by Jamie Bell as an adult) and Campbell (Gadd as an adult) bring the series’ explosive depiction of modern masculinity to life as exquisitely as their older counterparts.
—Barry Levitt, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for masculinity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for masculinity
Noun
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The men handling their maleness was interesting.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025
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Fact is Bruce Springsteen has forever been a man of the people, a man in search of his own definition of his maleness and his humanity.—
Kevin Powell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Ending the slump did not come without some pain, though, after Raleigh took a foul tip near his manhood.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
13 May 2026
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Diego Luna got his feet wet as a director with the promising 2011 debut, Abel, a slight but disarming tragicomedy that took imaginative shots at Mexican patriarchy and manhood.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
Noun
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The fashion for bushy beards, and beards’ association with authentic manliness, has followed this same trajectory from irony to earnestness during its various resurgences since the early 19th century.—
Daniel Engber,
The Atlantic,
20 Feb. 2026
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Suck it up, and embrace the steely, Vader-esque manliness of this Ultra-Tough cooler from RTIC.—
Matthew Korfhage,
Wired News,
10 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The able-bodied white male stood for the virility of the New Deal nation-state.—
John P. Murphy,
ARTnews.com,
5 Apr. 2026
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And the working women clearly recognize the virility of him.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Bouillon’s Anthony is a man’s man, rough around the eyes with unapologetic machismo as his default personality.—
Carlos Aguilar,
IndieWire,
15 May 2026
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Yulieth, on the cusp of adolescence, faces the difficulties of growing up in a wild territory where natural beauty coexists with the hostility of machismo.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Masculinity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/masculinity. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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