womanizer

American  

[woom-uh-nahy-zer] / ˈwʊm əˌnaɪ zər /

especially British, womaniser

noun

1. a philanderer.

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Etymology

Origin of womanizer

First recorded in 1920–25; womanize + -er ¹

Explanation

If you've ever known a man who can't keep his eyes off every single woman who walks by, you can call him a womanizer — especially if he's constantly handing out his phone number. A womanizer is a man who always seems to have a new girlfriend, and who has no hesitation about starting up a new relationship before he's ended the last one. Usually, these relationships are sexual and don't last long. The noun womanizer comes from the verb womanize, which originally meant "to make effeminate." By the late 1800s, the meaning shifted to mean "to chase women."

Example Sentences

Don Draper was as charming as the ads he wrote, but he was a chronic womanizer, a lousy dad and a subpar boss.

From Washington Post • Aug. 13, 2021

It’s an interesting performance that nevertheless transforms Casanova to the point that he is no longer a believable womanizer.

From New York Times • Jul. 14, 2021

Suppose, 50 years hence, the consensus of the moment is that Martin Luther King Jr. was a womanizer and a misogynist?

From Washington Times • Sep. 30, 2020

She signed a five-year contract with the studio and went on to make “Captain Blood,” “Dodge City” and other films with Flynn, a hopeless womanizer even by Hollywood standards.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 26, 2020

Burr’s reputation as a notorious womanizer or as a lavish spender who always managed to stay one step ahead of his creditors did not trouble Hamilton.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis