man

MAN/mæn/

Pluralmen

23 meanings of man

1
adult malenouncountable
A grown-up male person.
A man was waiting at the door.
The show is popular with middle-aged men.
UsageOne man, two men.
Similargentleman, fellow, male
Oppositewoman
Note
2
soldier or workernouncountable
A grown-up male who belongs to a certain group or works for someone.
He's a Harvard man.
Two Secret Service men walked behind the president.
UsageSay a union man or a Harvard man.
Similaremployee, worker, representative, subordinate
Note
3
humankindnouncollectiveuncountable
All people together, as a kind of living thing.
Over thousands of years, man learned to farm, build cities and write.
Man has always dreamed of flying like the birds.
UsageSay humanity or people to make clear everyone is included.
Similarhumankind, humanity
Note
4
nouncountable
A person of either sex, usually a grown-up.
Time and tide wait for no man, so let's get moving.
Repay no man evil for evil, the old text says.
UsageOld sayings use man for anyone: every man for himself.
Similarperson, individual
Note
5
said for emphasisinterjection
A word said to show strong feeling about something.
Man, this pizza is the best I've ever had!
Man, I'm tired.
UsageSay Man, I'm tired! to show strong feeling.
Similarboy, wow, gosh, jeez
Note
6
friendly (address)noun
A friendly or impatient word used when talking to someone, usually a man.
Hey, man, how's it going?
Thanks for holding the door, man.
UsageSay Hey, man to greet a friend.
Similarmate, buddy, pal, dude
Note
7
nouncollectiveuncountable
All male people thought of together as one group.
Old books often talk about man and woman as if they were opposites.
The poem asks what man wants, and what woman wants.
UsageUse with no a or the, often in man and woman.
Oppositewoman
Note
8
nouncountable
Someone's husband or boyfriend.
Her man works nights, so she often eats dinner alone.
She brought her new man to the party.
UsageUsually used with words like my, her, or your: my man, her new man.
Similarhusband, boyfriend, partner, lover
Note
9
nouncountable
A man connected with a certain job or interest, as in the gas man or a jazz man.
The ice cream man drives down our street every summer afternoon.
The sound man checked every microphone.
UsagePut the job or interest before man: a sound man, a jazz man.
Note
10
nouncountable
A male person who shows courage, strength and honesty.
He's more of a man than the pair of you.
Be a man and admit you were wrong.
UsageBe a man tells someone to act bravely or in a way thought suitable for a man.
Note

Less common meanings

11
verbtransitive
To be the person who works at or runs something, or to give a place enough workers.
Volunteers will man the front desk during the holiday weekend.
"Man the boat!" the captain roared.
UsageOften in orders, Man the boats!, or as the desk was manned.
Similarstaff, operate, crew, work, run
Note
12
right personnouncountable
The right person to do what is needed.
For a fast, honest car repair, my cousin Luis is the man to see.
If you need a cistern dug, he's your man.
UsageSay he's your man when someone is right for a job.
Similarperson, guy
Note
13
nouncountable
In sport, the player on the other team you must stay close to and stop.
Our best defender stayed close to his man for the whole game.
Pick up your man at corners.
UsageSay stay with your man when you defend.
Note
14
arcade livesnouncountable
In video games, one of the lives a player has.
The machine awards an extra man after 8000 points.
I lost my last man on the final level.
Similarlife
Note
15
nouncountable
A piece used in a board game such as checkers.
The white men go on this side of the board.
A man that reaches the far row becomes a king.
Similarpiece, token
Note
16
valetnouncountable
A male servant who looks after his employer.
His man laid out his evening clothes before dinner.
Every gentleman kept a man in those days.
Similarvalet, servant, attendant
Oppositemaster
17
brave enoughadjective
Brave and strong in the way expected of a male, used only before 'enough'.
Are you man enough to admit it?
He wasn't man enough to face her.
UsageSay someone was man enough to say sorry.
Similarmanly
18
feudal followernounhistoricalcountable
In history, a person bound to serve a lord or king.
The knight knelt and promised to be the king's man for life.
The vassal, or tenant, kneeling, ungirt, uncovered, and holding up his hands between those of his lord, professed that he did become his man from that day forth, of life, limb, and earthly honour.
c. 1700, William BlackstoneHere, man means vassal, someone bound to serve a lord.
Similarvassal, subject, retainer, follower
Oppositelord, master
Note
19
verbdatedreflexivetransitive
To make yourself brave, used with words like 'himself' or 'yourself'.
he manned himself heroically
1876, Julian Hawthorne, Saxon StudiesHere, manned means braced himself and found his courage.
Similarsteel, brace, nerve, fortify
Note
20
people in generalpronoundialectalMulticultural London English
In some London speech, a word used to mean I, you or anyone.
Man needs a break, so I'm going home.
Man can't just walk in here like that.
Note
21
nounobsoleteuncountable
The strength and courage expected of a grown male.
Note
22
verbobsolete
To serve someone or go along with them.
23
verbobsolete
To train a bird to feel calm near people.

Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1–10, 12–18, 20–21

From Old English 'mann', meaning a human being or person, probably going back to an ancient Proto-Indo-European root for 'human being'.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

English man descends from Old English mann. en.wiktionary.org
Old English mann meant a human being or person. en.wikipedia.org
The word probably ultimately derives from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning human being. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 11, 19

From Old English 'mannian', meaning to supply with men or populate, which came from 'mann' ('man').

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

The verb descends from Old English mannian. en.wiktionary.org
The Old English verb meant to supply with men or populate. en.wiktionary.org
Mannian was formed from mann, meaning man. en.wiktionary.org