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Meaning & use

womanising

noun, verb·Advanceddisapprovingold-fashionedBritish

Last updated

UK/ˈwʊmənaɪzɪŋ/
US/ˈwʊmənaɪzɪŋ/

“womanising” is a form of “womanise”.

Usage warning: this word is disapproving. It shows a negative opinion, so take care with who and what you use it about.

Meanings

  1. noununcountabledisapproving

    The habit of a man having many casual sexual or romantic relationships with women, with little commitment.

    Grammar: Uncountable: his womanising caused scandal, not a womanising.

    Patterns

    • accused of womanising

    The politician's womanising ended his career.

    She left him after learning about his womanising.

    Rumors of womanising followed the actor for years.

  2. verbintransitivedisapproving

    Present participle of womanise: spending time seeking many casual affairs with women, as a man.

    Grammar: No object: he was womanising all summer.

    Patterns

    • spend time womanising

    He spent his twenties drinking and womanising.

    The captain was known for womanising in every port.

Common combinations

drinking and womanising
His biography was full of drinking and womanising.
accused of womanising
The senator was accused of womanising.
notorious for womanising
The singer was notorious for his womanising.
habitual womanising
His habitual womanising damaged his marriage.

Synonyms and how they differ

philandering
Philandering is more formal and stresses being unfaithful to a partner, while womanising focuses on pursuing many women.
chasing women
Chasing women is informal and plain, and a little less judgmental than womanising.
promiscuity
Promiscuity can apply to anyone and is a general term for many casual partners.
lothario
A lothario is a type of man who seduces women, while womanising names the behavior.

Opposites

fidelityfaithfulness

Word family

womanise verb
to pursue many casual affairs with women
womaniser noun
a man who does this
woman noun
an adult female person
womanly adjective
having qualities seen as typical of women

Commonly confused: womanising or womanhood?

womanising vs womanhood

Womanhood is the state of being a woman and has no negative meaning.

Practice

The biography described the senator's drinking and ___, which shocked voters.

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