man
noun /mæn/
/mæn/
(plural men
Idioms /men/
/men/
)- [countable] an adult male human
- a good-looking young man
- the relationships between men and women
- the men's team/game/race/doubles/singles/event
- The board of directors is dominated by middle-aged white men.
- He was one of the great men of history.
- Four armed men burst into the room.
- An elderly Indian man sat down beside me and recounted his story.
- He is an average working man trying to make ends meet.
Extra ExamplesTopics Life stagesa1, People in societya1- The men's team won their third gold medal last year.
- the man in charge of the project
- Is Jim Carrey the funniest man on earth?
- He walked out of court a free man.
- He was a lucky man to have found such a partner.
- He was a self-made man who raised himself from poverty to success.
- Mr Locke is a man of means who owns a vast business empire.
- I was helped by two burly men with tattoos.
- Over 150 men, women and children were killed.
- Several people made speeches in honour of the great man.
- Vincente is a wanted man back in his own country.
- What a horrible man!
- the first man on the moon
- men in grey suits
- a little old man
- a middle-aged, balding man
- Only the dead man's young son knows what happened.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- elderly
- middle-aged
- old
- …
- Man[uncountable] humans as a group, both male and female
- the damage caused by man to the environment
- The common man (= ordinary people) is losing faith in democratic institutions.
More About gendergenderWays of talking about men and women- When you are writing or speaking English it is important to use language that includes both men and women equally. Some people may be very offended if you do not.
- Man and mankind have traditionally been used to mean ‘all men and women’. Many people now prefer to use humanity, the human race, human beings or people.
- The suffix -ess in names of occupations such as actress, hostess and waitress shows that the person doing the job is a woman. Many people now avoid these. Instead you can use actor or host (although actress and hostess are still very common), or a neutral word, such as server for waiter and waitress.
- Neutral words like assistant, worker, person or officer are now often used instead of -man or -woman in the names of jobs. For example, you can use police officer instead of policeman or policewoman, and spokesperson instead of spokesman or spokeswoman. Neutral words are very common in newspapers, on television and radio and in official writing, in both British English and North American English.
- When talking about jobs that are traditionally done by the other sex, some people say: a male secretary/nurse/model (NOT man) or a woman/female doctor/barrister/driver. However this is now not usually used unless you need to emphasize which sex the person is, or it is still unusual for the job to be done by a man/woman: My daughter prefers to see a woman doctor.They have a male nanny for their kids.a female racing driver
- He used to be considered to cover both men and women: Everyone needs to feel he is loved. This is not now acceptable. Instead, after everybody, everyone, anybody, anyone, somebody, someone, etc. one of the plural pronouns they, them, and their is often used: Does everybody know what they want?Somebody’s left their coat here.I hope nobody’s forgotten to bring their passport with them.
- Some people prefer to use he or she, his or her, or him or her in speech and writing: Everyone knows what’s best for him- or herself. He/she or (s)he can also be used in writing: If in doubt, ask your doctor. He/she can give you more information. (You may find that some writers just use ‘she’.) These uses can seem awkward when they are used a lot. It is better to try to change the sentence, using a plural noun. Instead of saying: A baby cries when he or she is tired you can say Babies cry when they are tired.
Extra Examples- In man the brain is highly developed.
- the most poisonous substance known to man
- It's a powerful indictment of the horrors of war and man's inhumanity to man.
- The working man wants more and better jobs.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- early
- prehistoric
- primitive
- …
- in man
- known to man
- man’s inhumanity to man
- [countable] (literary or old-fashioned) a person, either male or female
- All men must die.
- How could a human torture his fellow man?
- While no man is an island, we do function independently for the most part.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- early
- prehistoric
- primitive
- …
- in man
- known to man
- man’s inhumanity to man
- [uncountable] humans from a particular period of history
- early/modern/Prehistoric man
- [countable] (in compounds) a man who comes from the place mentioned or whose job or interest is connected with the thing mentioned
- a Frenchman
- a businessman
- a medical man
- a sportsman
More About gendergenderWays of talking about men and women- When you are writing or speaking English it is important to use language that includes both men and women equally. Some people may be very offended if you do not.
- Man and mankind have traditionally been used to mean ‘all men and women’. Many people now prefer to use humanity, the human race, human beings or people.
- The suffix -ess in names of occupations such as actress, hostess and waitress shows that the person doing the job is a woman. Many people now avoid these. Instead you can use actor or host (although actress and hostess are still very common), or a neutral word, such as server for waiter and waitress.
- Neutral words like assistant, worker, person or officer are now often used instead of -man or -woman in the names of jobs. For example, you can use police officer instead of policeman or policewoman, and spokesperson instead of spokesman or spokeswoman. Neutral words are very common in newspapers, on television and radio and in official writing, in both British English and North American English.
- When talking about jobs that are traditionally done by the other sex, some people say: a male secretary/nurse/model (NOT man) or a woman/female doctor/barrister/driver. However this is now not usually used unless you need to emphasize which sex the person is, or it is still unusual for the job to be done by a man/woman: My daughter prefers to see a woman doctor.They have a male nanny for their kids.a female racing driver
- He used to be considered to cover both men and women: Everyone needs to feel he is loved. This is not now acceptable. Instead, after everybody, everyone, anybody, anyone, somebody, someone, etc. one of the plural pronouns they, them, and their is often used: Does everybody know what they want?Somebody’s left their coat here.I hope nobody’s forgotten to bring their passport with them.
- Some people prefer to use he or she, his or her, or him or her in speech and writing: Everyone knows what’s best for him- or herself. He/she or (s)he can also be used in writing: If in doubt, ask your doctor. He/she can give you more information. (You may find that some writers just use ‘she’.) These uses can seem awkward when they are used a lot. It is better to try to change the sentence, using a plural noun. Instead of saying: A baby cries when he or she is tired you can say Babies cry when they are tired.
- [countable] a man who likes or who does the thing mentioned
- a betting/fighting/drinking man
- I think he’s a beer man (= he drinks beer).
- I've never been a gambling man.
- [countable] a man who works for or supports a particular organization, comes from a particular town, etc.
- the BBC’s man in Moscow (= the man who reports on news from Moscow)
- a loyal Republican Party man
- [countable, usually plural] a soldier or a male worker who obeys the instructions of a person of higher rank
- The officer refused to let his men take part in the operation.
- The conditions in which the men were working were terrible.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- elderly
- middle-aged
- old
- …
- [countable] a man who comes to your house to do a job
- the gas man
- The man's coming to repair the TV today.
- [singular] (especially North American English, informal) used for addressing a male person
- Nice shirt, man!
- Hey man. Back off!
- [singular] (old-fashioned) used for addressing a male person in an angry or impatient way
- Don't just stand there, man—get a doctor!
- [countable] a husband or sexual partner
- What's her new man like?
- I now pronounce you man and wife (= you are now officially married).
- [countable] a person who is strong and brave or has other qualities that some people think are particularly male
- Come on, now—be a man.
- She's more of a man than he is.
- the Man[singular] (North American English, informal) a group or person that is thought to be in authority or control, especially the police or white people in government
- Activists marched to the police station to voice their displeasure with the Man.
- [singular] (old-fashioned, formal) a male servant
- My man will drive you home.
- [countable] one of the figures or objects that you play with in a game such as chess see also chessman
male person
humans
particular type of man
soldier/worker
form of address
husband/boyfriend
strong/brave person
people in authority
servant
in chess, etc
Word OriginOld English man(n), (plural) menn (noun), mannian (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch man, German Mann, and Sanskrit manu ‘mankind’.
Idioms
as one man
- with everyone doing or thinking the same thing at the same time; in agreement
- The crowd rose to their feet as one man.
- The staff speak as one man on this issue.
be all things to all men/people
- (of people) to please everyone by changing your attitudes or opinions to suit different people
- (of things) to be understood or used in different ways by different people
be somebody’s man
- to be the best or most suitable person to do a particular job, etc.
- For a superb haircut, David's your man.
be man enough (to do something/for something)
- to be strong or brave enough
- He was not man enough to face up to his responsibility.
be your own man/woman
- to act or think independently, not following others or being ordered
- Working for himself meant that he could be his own man.
every man for himself
- (saying) people must take care of themselves and not give or expect any help
- In business, it's every man for himself.
a/the grand old man (of something)
- a man who is respected in a particular profession that he has been involved in for a long time
- James Lovelock, the grand old man of environmental science
CultureGrand Old Man was a title originally used to refer to William Gladstone, who spent many years in British politics in 19th century and was prime minister four times.
(not) in so/as many words
- (not) in exactly the same words as somebody says were used
- ‘Did she say she was sorry?’ ‘Not in so many words.’
- He didn't approve of the plan and said so in as many words.
- They told me in so many words that I was no longer needed.
like a man/woman possessed | like one possessed
- with a lot of force or energy
- He flew out of the room like a man possessed.
make a man (out) of somebody
- to make a young man develop and become more adult
- They thought the army would make a man of him.
a/the man about town
- (old-fashioned) a man who frequently goes to fashionable parties, clubs, theatres, etc.
- In his new suit, he looked quite the man about town.
a man/woman after your own heart
- a man/woman who likes the same things or has the same opinions as youTopics Opinion and argumentc2
man and boy
- from when somebody was young to when they were old or older
- He's been doing the same job for 50 years—man and boy.
the man (and/or woman) in the street
- an average or ordinary person, either male or female
- Politicians often don't understand the views of the man in the street.
- What really matters to the man and woman in the street?
a man of God/the cloth
- (old-fashioned, formal) a religious man, especially a priest or a clergyman
(the) man of the match
- (British English, sport) a man who is chosen as having given the best performance in a game of football (soccer), cricket, etc.
- Pogba was named man of the match.
the man of the moment
- the man who is the best at a particular point in time
- Man of the moment Tom Ford greets the crowd at the end of his show.
a man/woman of (many) parts
- a person with many skills
a man/woman of the people
- (especially of a politician) a man/woman who understands and supports ordinary people
- He is not only a statesman, but also a man of the people.
a man/woman of substance
- (formal) a rich and powerful man or woman
a man/woman of the world
- a person with a lot of experience of life, who is not easily surprised or shocked
man’s best friend
- a way of describing a dog
a man’s home is his castle (US English)
(British English an Englishman’s home is his castle)
- (saying) a person’s home is a place where they can be private and safe and do as they like
a man’s man
- a man who is more popular with men than with women
man to man
- between two men who are treating each other honestly and equally
- I'm telling you all this man to man.
- a man-to-man talk
a marked man/woman
- a person who is in danger because their enemies want to harm them
- He has been a marked man since he decided to cooperate with the police.
the next man, woman, person, etc.
- the average person
- I can enjoy a joke as well as the next man, but this is going too far.
the odd man/one out
- a person or thing that is different from others or does not fit easily into a group or set
- At school he was always the odd man out.
- Dog, cat, horse, shoe—which is the odd one out?
one man’s meat is another man’s poison
- (saying) used to say that different people like different things; what one person likes very much, another person does not like at all
the poor man’s somebody/something
- a person or thing that is similar to but of a lower quality than a particular famous person or thing
- Sparkling white wine is the poor man's champagne.
separate/sort out the men from the boys
- to show or prove who is brave, skilful, etc. and who is not
to a man | to the last man
- used to emphasize that something is true of all the people being described
- They answered ‘Yes,’ to a man.
- They were all destroyed, to the last man.
you can’t keep a good man down
- (saying) a person who is determined or wants something very much will succeedTopics Successc2