Standard Lemma guide

mannish

adj · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ˈmæn.ɪʃ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ænɪʃ

1

adj

Meaning 1

Resembling or characteristic of a man, masculine.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: butch, masculine, unladylike

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Resembling or characteristic of a grown man (as opposed to a boy); mature, adult.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: manly, grown up

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Impertinent; assertive.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Caribbean, Guyana

Examples

  • 2014, Kurt Campbell, “Police left 15-year-old to die — Relatives,” inewsguyana.com, 11 March, 2014, “They could have saved his life because he was still living, one woman said when she told the police that the boy was alive he said leave him to die, he’s wanted,” Giddings cried, adding that “I know he bad, he mannish, he does misbehave but I never know he was wanted... how can they make the claim without medical assistance.”

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Precocious.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Caribbean

Qualifier: African-American Vernacular

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Resembling or characteristic of a human being, in form or nature; human.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

Topics: fantasy

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

characteristic of a man as distinguished from a woman

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • true mannish arrogance

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective satellite

Meaning 7

resembling or imitative of or suggestive of a man rather than a woman

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a mannish stride

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English mannish, mannisshe, mannysh, from earlier mennish (“human”), from Old English mennisċ (“human, natural, humane”), from Proto-West Germanic *mannisk, from Proto-Germanic *manniskaz (“human”). By surface analysis, man + -ish. Doublet of mennish, mense, and mensch.