unmanly en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ʌnˈmænli/
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- English manly English unmanly From un- + manly.
Meanings
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(of a person) Showing characteristics that are not manly, such as being immature, effeminate or cowardly, which might be construed as an indicator of weakness or of baseness of character.
'I do not know which is the worse,' he cried, 'the fraudulent old villain or the unmanly young cub. […]
1889, Robert Louis Stevenson, Lloyd Osbourne, The Wrong Box:He'd be wearing white pants and playing lawn tennis presently if he continued to grow much softer and more unmanly.
1914 October – 1916 July, Edgar Rice Burroughs, chapter XI, in The Mucker, Chicago, Ill.: A[lexander] C[aldwell] McClurg & Co., published 31 October 1921, →OCLC:Nothing captured the alt-right mentality better than cuckservative, with its taunt that moderation is unmanly and certain conservative males are cuckolds.
2017 December 22, Dominic Green, “Are You Sufficiently Woke?”, in The Weekly Standard, Washington, retrieved 10 Feb 2022:
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(archaic) Of or pertaining to something not human.
Such a man does not understand the simplest rudiments of those principles which are the basis of true prosperity, and is not only totally unfitted to rise out of his wretchedness, but is actually attracting to himself a still deeper wretchedness by dwelling in, and acting out, indolent, deceptive, and unmanly thoughts.
1902, James Allen, As a Man Thinketh:I had bought a toy in the street for my own amusement. It represented a woman, a young mother, flinging her little son over her head with one hand and catching him in the other ... The unmanly chuckle always came, I found, when the poor lady dropped her babe, […]
1902, J. M. Barrie, The Little White Bird:He did not know which was more painful to witness: Hempel's unmanly cringing, or the air of fatuous satisfaction that succeeded it.
1917, Henry Handel Richardson, Australia Felix:And then, it may be, of his wish to roam Repented he, but in his bosom slept The silent thought, nor from his lips did come One word of wail, whilst others sate and wept, And to the reckless gales unmanly moaning kept.
1812–1818, Lord Byron, “(please specify |canto=I to IV)”, in Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage. A Romaunt, London: […] [F]or John Murray, […]; William Blackwood, Edinburgh; and John Cumming, Dublin; by Thomas Davison, […], →OCLC, (please specify the stanza number):When they've got nobody but themselves to think of it don't so much matter as I know of; but to keep on breaking the hearts of those as never did you anything but good, and wouldn't if they lived for a hundred years, is cowardly and unmanly any way you look at it.
1883, Rolf Boldrewood, Robbery Under Arms:But when, instead of an impotent and unmanly struggle for existence, he found that his friend had forborne, with the customary and dignified submission of an Indian warrior, until an opportunity had offered to escape, and that he had then manifested the spirit and decision of the most gifted brave, his gratification became nearly too powerful to be concealed.
1827, James Fenimore Cooper, The Prairie:
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(of a behaviour or action) Not acceptable from a man.
Mr. Coverley was quite brutal: he swore at her with unmanly rage, and seemed scarce able to refrain even from striking her.
1778, Fanny Burney, Evelina: Or the History of a Young Lady's Entrance into the World:"Lor’, sir, you wouldn’t have ’em in short clothes, poor little dears?" And she said it in a tone that seemed to imply I had suggested some unmanly outrage.
1886, Jerome K. Jerome, “On Babies”, in Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow:
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(of a behaviour or action) Not becoming of a man.
Jo wanted to lay her head down on that motherly bosom, and cry her grief and anger all away, but tears were an unmanly weakness, and she felt so deeply injured that she really couldn’t quite forgive yet.
1868, Louisa May Alcott, Little Women:First, the more robust boys considered talking with girls an unmanly occupation; second, the greater part of the boys were afraid; third, they had no idea of what to say, because they esteemed the proper sentences should be supernaturally incisive and eloquent.
1899 November, Stephen Crane, “"Showin' Off"”, in Harper's New Monthly Magazine, volume 99, number 594:Many voteless women regard a vote as unwomanly. Nobody says that most voteless men regarded a vote as unmanly. Nobody says that any voteless men regarded it as unmanly.
1910, G.K. Chesterton, What's Wrong with the World:
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(of a behaviour or action) Cowardly, base.
Full many mischiefes follow cruell Wrath; Abhorred bloodshed and tumultuous strife, Unmanly murder, and unthrifty scath, Bitter despight, with rancours rusty knife, And fretting griefe the enemy of life; All these, and many evils moe haunt ire, The swelling Splene, and Frenzy raging rife, The shaking Palsey, and Saint Fraunces fire: Such one was Wrath, the last of this ungodly tire.
1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| unmanliest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more unmanly | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| unmanlier | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most unmanly | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Translations (13)
bg страхлив ((of a behaviour or action) Cowardly, base.) · sv omanlig ((of a person) not manly: immature, effeminate or cowardly, etc.) · fr efféminé ((of a person) not manly: immature, effeminate or cowardly, etc.) · hu férfiatlan ((of a behaviour or action) Cowardly, base.) · fr lâche ((of a behaviour or action) Cowardly, base.) · nl onmannelijk ((of a person) not manly: immature, effeminate or cowardly, etc.) · ga mífhearúil ((of a person) not manly: immature, effeminate or cowardly, etc.) · grc ἄνανδρος ((of a person) not manly: immature, effeminate or cowardly, etc.) · bg немъжествен ((of a person) not manly: immature, effeminate or cowardly, etc.) · ka არაკაცური ((of a person) not manly: immature, effeminate or cowardly, etc.) · ka არამამაკაცური ((of a person) not manly: immature, effeminate or cowardly, etc.) · fi epämiehekäs ((of a person) not manly: immature, effeminate or cowardly, etc.) · hu férfiatlan ((of a person) not manly: immature, effeminate or cowardly, etc.)