man-child

American  

[man-chahyld] / ˈmænˌtʃaɪld /

Or manchild

noun

plural

men-children

1. a male child; boy; son.

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Etymology

Origin of man-child

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

Example Sentences

Like him, they’re also racing from man-child parts to man-man ones.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 30, 2025

So many fit the man-child: “light of brain,” “clod of wayward marl,” “bolting-hutch of beastliness,” but specifically to his inability to speak the truth there’s the perfect “infinite and endless liar, an hourly promise-breaker.”

From Salon • Feb. 5, 2024

From there, the comic — known for his brash, man-child shtick and athleisure affinity — catapulted to superstardom with the hit comedies “Billy Madison,” “Happy Gilmore,” “The Water Boy” and “The Wedding Singer.”

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 14, 2023

In reality, Pee-wee Herman was nothing like us at all, a dreamy man-child in a red bow tie whose sugary smile could curl into a punky scowl.

From New York Times • Jul. 31, 2023

I wanted to be a baby, but instead, I was an adult who talked like one, a spooky man-child demanding more than his fair share of attention.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris