womanishness
womanishness — noun
1. a very negative word for the quality of behaving, speaking, or dressing in a way
a very negative word for the quality of behaving, speaking, or dressing in a way that someone thinks is typical of women rather than men. The word is always used as an insult and suggests that being like a woman is a bad thing for a man.
The old coach mocked the players for their womanishness whenever they showed fear.
used as an accusation; followed by 'for what he called' — distancing framing
Ingrid's grandfather still uses the word womanishness to describe men who cry at sad movies.
noun used as object of 'uses … to describe'
The journalist wrote that womanishness belongs to a time when men hid their emotions.
Growing up, Lara heard womanishness used to shame boys with gentle hobbies.
Quan told his younger brother that womanishness is based on unfair stereotypes about men.
- effeminacy
similar meaning but slightly less harsh; still negative, more common in formal writing
- unmanliness
focuses on the lack of expected male qualities rather than the presence of female ones
- manliness
positive term for the qualities traditionally expected of men
- masculinity
neutral or positive term for male-associated traits
文法句型
uncountable noun
用法筆記
This word is always a strong insult when applied to a man or boy. It expresses disapproval of someone for not following traditional ideas of masculinity. Many people today consider the term old-fashioned and offensive. Do not use it in polite conversation or formal writing without quoting or distancing yourself from the word.