unmanliness
unmanliness — noun
1. the state of not showing the strength, courage, or behaviour that people have tr
the state of not showing the strength, courage, or behaviour that people have traditionally expected from men, often said in a way that judges a man as weak.
The old coach treated any sign of fear as unmanliness and shouted at the players.
abstract noun treated as a judged quality
Karim felt that crying at the funeral would be seen as unmanliness by his uncles.
be seen as unmanliness — passive perception frame
When Felipe stayed home to nurse his sick mother, the neighbours whispered about his unmanliness.
The general accused the young soldier of unmanliness for refusing to fight.
Dario hid his love of poetry, afraid his teammates would mock it as unmanliness.
- cowardice
narrower — only about lack of courage, not the wider 'male' standard
- effeminacy
focuses on appearing female-like; unmanliness covers weakness more broadly
- weakness
neutral and general; unmanliness specifically measures a man against a manly ideal
- manliness
the strength and courage expected from a man
- masculinity
the wider set of qualities seen as male; less judging than manliness
用法筆記
Almost always uncountable and used as a judgement on a man, so it carries a disapproving tone; pair it with verbs of perception or accusation (seen as, mistaken for, accused of) rather than describing a neutral fact.