Manly
adjectiveHaving qualities traditionally associated with men, such as strength, courage, or a deep voice.
How to spell manly
5 letters · 2 syllables
How to pronounce manly
Say the part in capitals loudest.
What does manly mean?
- adjectiveHaving qualities traditionally associated with men, such as strength, courage, or a deep voice.
Manly in a sentence
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His deep, manly voice carried across the crowded hall.
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The advert promoted a rugged, manly image to sell its boots.
Where does manly come from?
Language of origin: Germanic
This is a native English word, built from the Old English noun 'mann', meaning a person or a man, joined to the suffix '-lic', which formed adjectives meaning 'having the form or qualities of'. The Old English form 'manlic' literally meant 'having the qualities of a man', and over the centuries the '-lic' ending wore down to the modern '-ly' seen on so many English adjectives. The root 'mann' is shared across the Germanic languages, surviving in German 'Mann' and Dutch 'man', and it originally referred to a human being of either sex before narrowing toward the adult male sense. The spelling stays reassuringly simple: it is just the everyday word 'man' with '-ly' added, with no doubling and no silent letters to trip over.
How the word is built
- man (adult male)
- -ly (adjective suffix: having the qualities of)
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