mannish

[ man-ish ]

adjective

1. being typical or suggestive of a man rather than a woman:

   mannish clothing styles for women; a mannish voice.

2. resembling a man, as in size or manner:

   a mannish youth.

mannish

/ ˈmænɪʃ /

adjective

1. (of a woman) having or displaying qualities regarded as typical of a man
2. of or resembling a man

Derived Forms

• ˈmannishness, noun
• ˈmannishly, adverb

Other Words From

• mannish·ly adverb
• mannish·ness noun
• un·mannish adjective
• un·mannish·ly adverb
• un·mannish·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of mannish¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; replacing Middle English mennish, Old English mennisc; man, -ish ¹

Synonym Study

See manly.

Example Sentences

Some donned mannish, oversized coats in military greens and browns paired with matching wide-leg trousers, while others covered up with an elegant silk scarf wrapped around the head.

From Seattle Times

Gertrude, who worked in Los Alamos’ scientific laboratory, got the FBI’s attention when a childhood neighbor described her as “being very mannish in appearance and not considered to be attractive to men.”

From Seattle Times

A girlfriend asked her to de-emphasize her feminine looks by cutting her hair and dressing mannishly.

From New York Times

Was it her “mannish” short hairstyle, her friendships with younger women and her flouting of “the southern lady’s book of rules and behavior” that turned so many people against Ruth?

From Washington Post

Yet even dressed almost mannishly, I would be noticed.

From New York Times

Related Words

• manly
• masculine