Meaning & use
macho man
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Meaning
nouncountableinformaldisapproving
A man who tries hard to appear tough, strong and fearless, often by showing off or avoiding any sign of weakness.
Grammar: Countable: he is a real macho man, they are macho men.
Patterns
- act like a macho man
- a macho man type
He played the macho man at the gym, lifting far too much weight.
My uncle is such a macho man that he refuses to wear a coat in winter.
The film mocks the macho man image of old action heroes.
Word forms
| plural | macho men |
|---|
Common combinations
- act the macho man
- Stop acting the macho man and just ask for directions.
- a real macho man
- He thinks he is a real macho man because he never admits to being tired.
- macho man image
- The singer dropped his macho man image on his latest album.
- macho man attitude
- A macho man attitude can stop men from seeing a doctor.
Synonyms and how they differ
- tough guy
- Tough guy can be admiring or mocking, while macho man more often points to showing off.
- he-man
- He-man is old-fashioned and focuses on muscles, whereas macho man covers attitude as well.
- alpha male
- Alpha male suggests dominance in a group, while macho man is about outward displays of toughness.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: macho man or mocha?
macho man vs mocha
Mocha is a coffee flavored with chocolate; it sounds somewhat like macho but has no link in meaning.
Practice
Why might someone call a man a macho man in a slightly teasing way?
Choose one answer.
A macho man is someone who emphasizes toughness. The other options describe qualities that are unrelated or opposite.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “macho man”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.