mensch
Americannoun
plural
menschen, menschesEtymology
Origin of mensch
First recorded in 1910–15; from Yiddish mentsh “man, human being,” from Middle High German mensch ( German Mensch ), from Old High German mennisco, mannisco; man, -ish 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When our distant ancestors in Jewish central Europe coined the word "mensch," they had people like Joe Lieberman in mind.
From Salon • Mar. 29, 2024
My Justin, who will always be the face of the Dodgers, was a mensch, a real human being, who along with his wife, Kourtney, did marvelously caring services for the entire Los Angeles community.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2022
“You’ve gotta say something,” Paul’s grandfather tells him in an earlier scene, urging him to stand up to bullies and be a mensch to those who need it.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 26, 2022
His characters may act ridiculous, but the films themselves tackle the weightiest of issues — love, family, how to become a mensch — with a Harold Ramis-like empathy.
From Washington Post • Apr. 2, 2022
“I don’t know, you sure you want to go? A good mensch like yourself ought to stick to something a bit more, dare I say, kosher.”
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
