manhood
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the time or state of being an adult man rather than a boy.
the state or period of being an adult male, typically following puberty or a rite of passage.
Simple“He felt he had finally reached manhood when he started his first full-time job.”
In context“In many traditional cultures, young males must complete specific trials to prove they have transitioned from childhood into full manhood.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
the qualities that people traditionally think a man should have, like strength or courage.
the set of traditional or idealized characteristics associated with being a man.
Simple“The old stories often focused on bravery as the most important part of manhood.”
In context“Modern sociological studies often examine how the traditional concept of manhood has evolved to include emotional vulnerability and domestic participation.”
Synonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
all the men in a particular place or group.
men regarded collectively, often within a specific nation, ethnicity, or social group.
Simple“The king called upon the manhood of the country to defend the borders.”
In context“The war had a devastating effect on the nation, depleting the young manhood of an entire generation within just four years.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
a polite or indirect way to talk about a man's private parts.
a euphemistic reference to the male genitalia, specifically the penis.
Simple“The comedian made a silly joke about a man protecting his manhood during the game.”
In context“The script used the term 'manhood' as a playful euphemism to avoid more graphic language while maintaining the scene's comedic tone.”
From Middle English manhode, also manhede (> obsolete English manhead), equivalent to man + -hood. Cognate with Middle Dutch manheit (“manhood”), Middle Low German manheit (whence German Low German Mannheit (“manhood”)), German Mannheit (“manhood”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.