macho

See also: MACHO, Macho, machó, and maćho

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish macho (“male”), from Latin masculus. Doublet of male.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈmæt͡ʃ.əʊ/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈmɑ.t͡ʃoʊ/
• Rhymes: -ætʃəʊ, -ɑːtʃəʊ

Adjective

macho (comparative more macho, superlative most macho)

1. (informal) Masculine in an overly assertive or aggressive way.

   macho culture

   • 1997, George Carlin, “SPORTS ROUNDUP”, in Brain Droppings‎^[1], New York: Hyperion Books, →ISBN, page 56:

     I like sports because I enjoy knowing that many of these macho athletes have to vomit before a big game. Any guy who would take a job where you gotta puke first is my kinda guy.

   • 2017 September 4, “End ‘macho’ Brexit posturing, Anna Soubry urges May”, in The Guardian‎^[2]:

     The government’s “bullish” and “macho” approach to Brexit should not stop Conservative backbenchers from tabling amendments to the crucial repeal bill, a leading Tory remainer has said.

   • 2020 October 15, Francine Prose, “Trump's macho bravado is an embarrassment. Yet it puts us all in danger”, in The Guardian‎^[3]:

     Joseph Biden has described Donald Trump’s refusal to wear a mask as “macho”, an insult unlikely to wound a president, who, before his illness, began rallies with speakers blasting the Village People’s 1979 song Macho Man.

Translations

manly, tough

• Dutch: macho (nl) m
• Finnish: macho (fi), miehevä (fi)
• French: macho (fr) m
• German: machomäßig
• Hebrew: גְּבַרְתָּן (he) m (gvartán)
• Hungarian: macsó (hu), macsós, férfias (hu)
• Italian: macho (it)
• Japanese: マッチョ (matcho)
• Spanish: macho (es)
• Swedish: macho (sv)
• Turkish: maço (tr)

Noun

macho (plural machos)

1. A macho person; a man who is masculine in an overly assertive or aggressive way.

   Synonyms: macho man; see also Thesaurus:hypermasculine man

   Antonyms: see Thesaurus:effeminate man

   • 1978, “Macho Man”, performed by Village People:

     You can tell a macho, he has a funky walk / His western shirts and leather, always look so boss

2. Machismo
   • 1980 August 30, Jil Clark, quoting Bob Andrews, “Gays Talk About Registration and the Draft”, in Gay Community News, volume 8, number 6, page 9:

     […] about how the military is anti-gay and uses intimidation and peer pressure. How it promotes a sense of false macho and patriotism.

   • 1981, Frank Rector, The Nazi Extermination of Homosexuals, page 33:

     Though there was plentiful evidence to the contrary that should have made plain to him the hairy masculine macho of German gays, Hitler's stereotyped image perceived them as woman-like, surrendering, and therefore essentially weak.

3. The striped mullet of California (Mugil cephalus, syn. Mugil mexicanus).
4. A male llama.

   Coordinate term: hembra

Derived terms

• macho dancer
• machodom
• machohood
• machoism
• machoistically
• macho man
• machoness
• macho up

 

Translations

macho person — see also macho man,‎ he-man

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 男子漢 / 男子汉 (zh) (nánzǐhàn), 大男人 (dànánrén)

• Czech: macho
• Finnish: macho (fi), machomies (fi)
• French: macho (fr) m
• German: Macho (de) m, Macker (de) m
• Italian: macho (it) m
• Japanese: マッチョ (matcho), たくましい男 (takumashii otoko)
• Polish: macho (pl) m
• Portuguese: macho (pt) m
• Russian: мужи́к (ru) m (mužík), саме́ц (ru) m (saméc), ма́чо (ru) m (máčo), настоя́щий мужчи́на m (nastojáščij mužčína), круто́й па́рень m (krutój párenʹ)
• Spanish: macho (es) m
• Swedish: macho (sv) c
• Turkish: maço (tr), dayı (tr) (slang)

the striped mullet of California

male llama

• German: Lamahengst m
• Swedish: lamahingst c
• Volapük: hilamad

Related terms

• machismo

See also

• masculinist

Anagrams

• mocha, Mocha, Choma

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish macho.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɑ.tʃoː/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ma‧cho

Adjective

macho (comparative meer macho, superlative meest macho)

1. macho (pertaining to machismo)

Declension

Declension of macho
uninflected	macho
inflected	macho
comparative	meer macho
		positive	comparative	superlative
predicative/adverbial		macho	meer macho	het meest macho het meest machoe
indefinite	m./f. sing.	macho	meer machoe	meest machoe
	n. sing.	macho	meer macho	meest machoe
	plural	macho	meer machoe	meest machoe
definite		macho	meer machoe	meest machoe
partitive		macho's	meer macho's	—

Derived terms

• machoman

Noun

macho m (plural macho's)

1. a macho male

Finnish

Etymology

From Spanish macho.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɑtʃo/, [ˈmɑ̝t̪ʃo̞]
• Rhymes: -ɑtʃo

Adjective

macho (comparative machompi, superlative machoin)

1. macho

Declension

Inflection of macho (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
nominative		macho	machot
genitive		machon	machojen
partitive		machoa	machoja
illative		machoon	machoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		macho	machot
accusative	nom.	macho	machot
	gen.	machon
genitive		machon	machojen
partitive		machoa	machoja
inessive		machossa	machoissa
elative		machosta	machoista
illative		machoon	machoihin
adessive		macholla	machoilla
ablative		macholta	machoilta
allative		macholle	machoille
essive		machona	machoina
translative		machoksi	machoiksi
abessive		machotta	machoitta
instructive		—	machoin
comitative		—	machoine

Possessive forms of macho (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
Rare. Only used with substantive adjectives.
first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative machoni machoni accusative nom. machoni machoni gen. machoni genitive machoni machojeni partitive machoani machojani inessive machossani machoissani elative machostani machoistani illative machooni machoihini adessive machollani machoillani ablative macholtani machoiltani allative macholleni machoilleni essive machonani machoinani translative machokseni machoikseni abessive machottani machoittani instructive — — comitative — machoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative machosi machosi accusative nom. machosi machosi gen. machosi genitive machosi machojesi partitive machoasi machojasi inessive machossasi machoissasi elative machostasi machoistasi illative machoosi machoihisi adessive machollasi machoillasi ablative macholtasi machoiltasi allative machollesi machoillesi essive machonasi machoinasi translative machoksesi machoiksesi abessive machottasi machoittasi instructive — — comitative — machoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative machomme machomme accusative nom. machomme machomme gen. machomme genitive machomme machojemme partitive machoamme machojamme inessive machossamme machoissamme elative machostamme machoistamme illative machoomme machoihimme adessive machollamme machoillamme ablative macholtamme machoiltamme allative machollemme machoillemme essive machonamme machoinamme translative machoksemme machoiksemme abessive machottamme machoittamme instructive — — comitative — machoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative machonne machonne accusative nom. machonne machonne gen. machonne genitive machonne machojenne partitive machoanne machojanne inessive machossanne machoissanne elative machostanne machoistanne illative machoonne machoihinne adessive machollanne machoillanne ablative macholtanne machoiltanne allative machollenne machoillenne essive machonanne machoinanne translative machoksenne machoiksenne abessive machottanne machoittanne instructive — — comitative — machoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative machonsa machonsa accusative nom. machonsa machonsa gen. machonsa genitive machonsa machojensa partitive machoaan machoansa machojaan machojansa inessive machossaan machossansa machoissaan machoissansa elative machostaan machostansa machoistaan machoistansa illative machoonsa machoihinsa adessive machollaan machollansa machoillaan machoillansa ablative macholtaan macholtansa machoiltaan machoiltansa allative macholleen machollensa machoilleen machoillensa essive machonaan machonansa machoinaan machoinansa translative machokseen machoksensa machoikseen machoiksensa abessive machottaan machottansa machoittaan machoittansa instructive — — comitative — machoineen machoinensa

Noun

macho

1. macho

Declension

Inflection of macho (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
nominative		macho	machot
genitive		machon	machojen
partitive		machoa	machoja
illative		machoon	machoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		macho	machot
accusative	nom.	macho	machot
	gen.	machon
genitive		machon	machojen
partitive		machoa	machoja
inessive		machossa	machoissa
elative		machosta	machoista
illative		machoon	machoihin
adessive		macholla	machoilla
ablative		macholta	machoilta
allative		macholle	machoille
essive		machona	machoina
translative		machoksi	machoiksi
abessive		machotta	machoitta
instructive		—	machoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of macho (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative machoni machoni accusative nom. machoni machoni gen. machoni genitive machoni machojeni partitive machoani machojani inessive machossani machoissani elative machostani machoistani illative machooni machoihini adessive machollani machoillani ablative macholtani machoiltani allative macholleni machoilleni essive machonani machoinani translative machokseni machoikseni abessive machottani machoittani instructive — — comitative — machoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative machosi machosi accusative nom. machosi machosi gen. machosi genitive machosi machojesi partitive machoasi machojasi inessive machossasi machoissasi elative machostasi machoistasi illative machoosi machoihisi adessive machollasi machoillasi ablative macholtasi machoiltasi allative machollesi machoillesi essive machonasi machoinasi translative machoksesi machoiksesi abessive machottasi machoittasi instructive — — comitative — machoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative machomme machomme accusative nom. machomme machomme gen. machomme genitive machomme machojemme partitive machoamme machojamme inessive machossamme machoissamme elative machostamme machoistamme illative machoomme machoihimme adessive machollamme machoillamme ablative macholtamme machoiltamme allative machollemme machoillemme essive machonamme machoinamme translative machoksemme machoiksemme abessive machottamme machoittamme instructive — — comitative — machoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative machonne machonne accusative nom. machonne machonne gen. machonne genitive machonne machojenne partitive machoanne machojanne inessive machossanne machoissanne elative machostanne machoistanne illative machoonne machoihinne adessive machollanne machoillanne ablative macholtanne machoiltanne allative machollenne machoillenne essive machonanne machoinanne translative machoksenne machoiksenne abessive machottanne machoittanne instructive — — comitative — machoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative machonsa machonsa accusative nom. machonsa machonsa gen. machonsa genitive machonsa machojensa partitive machoaan machoansa machojaan machojansa inessive machossaan machossansa machoissaan machoissansa elative machostaan machostansa machoistaan machoistansa illative machoonsa machoihinsa adessive machollaan machollansa machoillaan machoillansa ablative macholtaan macholtansa machoiltaan machoiltansa allative macholleen machollensa machoilleen machoillensa essive machonaan machonansa machoinaan machoinansa translative machokseen machoksensa machoikseen machoiksensa abessive machottaan machottansa machoittaan machoittansa instructive — — comitative — machoineen machoinensa

Derived terms

• machoilla

 

compounds

• machomies

 

Further reading

• “macho”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[4] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-03

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish macho, from Latin masculus. Doublet of mâle.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mat.ʃo/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

macho m (plural machos)

1. One who is excessively or aggressively masculine or misogynistic; a chauvinist

   Synonym: machiste

Derived terms

• machisme
• machiste

Further reading

• “macho”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• chôma

Galician

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmat͡ʃo/ [ˈma̠.t͡ʃʊ]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -atʃo
• Hyphenation: ma‧cho

Etymology 1

Attested from the 13th century. From Vulgar Latin masclus, contracted form of Latin masculus (“male”). Cognate with Spanish macho and Portuguese macho.

Adjective

macho m or f (plural machos)

1. male

Noun

macho m (plural machos)

1. male
   • 1299, Clarinda de Azevedo Maia (ed.), História do galego-português. Estado linguístico da Galiza e do Noroeste de Portugal do século XII ao século XVI (com referência á situação do galego moderno). Coimbra: I.N.I.C., page 211:

     Item mãdo ao moeſteyro de Santiago d Ermelo o meu quinõ das egóás que eu auya cũ Johan Martinz, o ffrade [...] os fillos que ſon machos que os vendan ſe quiſeren vender τ aſ egoas que fiquen cũ ſuas fillas femeas

     Item, I bequeath my share of the mares that I have together with Xoán Martís, the friar, to the monastery of Santiago de Ermelo [...] the sons which are males shall be sold if they [the monks] wanted to, and the mares shall remain with their female daughters

   Coordinate term: femia

2. stud
3. mule
   • c. 1771, anonymous, Rosario Álvarez, Ernesto González, editors, Décima xiringatoria‎^[5]:

     Endemal! non falás rouco,
     mais eu à tanto desfacho,
     (como dixo ô ôutro) a macho
     que hè lerdo, arrieiro louco.
     Por moito que eu malle, hè pouco;
     que a quen do principio aò cabo,
     sin fazer caso do crabo,
     tàs peras tira meu frade,
     conven (xiquera à semade)
     que lle zorreguen ô rabo.

     Alas! you don't speak rough,
     but I, to such impertinence,
     as they say, to dumb mule,
     mad muleteer.
     No matter how much I strike, is not enough;
     because to whom, beginning to end,
     not paying attention to the nail,
     your pears drop, my friar,
     it is advisable (at least summarily)
     that they whip their tail

4. piece which enters into another

Derived terms

• machismo
• machista

Related terms

• masculino

Etymology 2

From Old Galician-Portuguese [Term?], probably from Latin marculus (“hammer”), a diminutive of marcus.

Noun

macho m (plural machos)

1. (regional) rammer

References

• Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “macho”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Xavier Varela Barreiro, Xavier Gómez Guinovart (2006–2018) “macho”, in Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: ILG
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “macho”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “macho”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “macho”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish macho. Doublet of maschio.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈma.t͡ʃo/
• Rhymes: -atʃo
• Hyphenation: mà‧cho

Adjective

macho (invariable)

1. macho

Noun

macho m (invariable)

1. macho

Further reading

• macho in Collins Italian-English Dictionary
• macho in Luciano Canepari, Dizionario di Pronuncia Italiana (DiPI)
• macho in Aldo Gabrielli, Grandi Dizionario Italiano (Hoepli)
• macho in garzantilinguistica.it – Garzanti Linguistica, De Agostini Scuola Spa
• macho in Dizionario Italiano Olivetti, Olivetti Media Communication
• macho in sapere.it – De Agostini Editore
• macho in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Polish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Spanish macho.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈma.t͡ʂɔ/
• Rhymes: -at͡ʂɔ
• Syllabification: ma‧cho
• Homophone: matcho

Noun

macho m pers (indeclinable)

1. macho (macho person)

Related terms

noun

• machismo

 

Further reading

• macho in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• macho in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

Etymology

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese macho, from Vulgar Latin masclus, contracted form of Latin masculus (“male”), from mās (“male, man”), -culus (diminutive suffix). Doublet of másculo.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈma.ʃu/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈma.ʃu/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈma.ʃo/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈma.ʃu/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈma.ʃu/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈma.t͡ʃu/

• Rhymes: -aʃu, (Northern Portugal) -at͡ʃu
• Hyphenation: ma‧cho

Adjective

macho (feminine macha, masculine plural machos, feminine plural machas)

1. male (belonging or referring to the sex having the smaller gametes)

   Synonym: masculino

   Coordinate terms: fêmeo, feminino

   Os pássaros machos tendem a ser mais coloridos.

   Male birds tend to be more colorful.

2. macho; manly

   Synonyms: másculo, varonil, viril

   Antonyms: bicha, cagão, covarde, marica, mulherzinha

3. male (of instruments or tools: designed to fit into or penetrate a “female” counterpart)

Noun

macho m (plural machos)

1. male

   Coordinate term: fêmea

2. macho; manly man

   Antonyms: bicha, cagão, covarde, marica, mulherzinha

3. (informal) man (especially in relationship-related contexts)

Related terms

• machão
• machismo
• machista
• masculinidade
• masculinizado
• masculinizar
• masculino
• másculo

 

Descendants

• Kabuverdianu: matchu

Further reading

• “macho”, in iDicionário Aulete (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2024
• “macho”, in Dicionário inFormal (in Portuguese), 2006–2024
• “macho” in Dicionário Aberto based on Novo Diccionário da Língua Portuguesa de Cândido de Figueiredo, 1913
• “macho”, in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2024
• “macho”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2024
• “macho”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2024

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish macho or French macho.

Noun

macho m (plural macho)

1. macho

Declension

	singular			plural
	indefinite	definite		indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	macho	machoul		macho	machoi
genitive-dative	macho	machoului		macho	macholor
vocative	machoule			macholor

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmat͡ʃo/ [ˈma.t͡ʃo]

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -atʃo
• Syllabification: ma‧cho

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old Spanish maslo, itself from Vulgar Latin māsclus, contracted form of Latin māsculus (“male”). Doublet of másculo.

Adjective

macho (feminine macha, masculine plural machos, feminine plural machas)

1. male
2. strong, brave
3. (Costa Rica) blond, blonde

   Synonym: rubio

Usage notes

The use of the feminine forms macha and machas is restricted to sense 3. When used as an adjective specifying that an animal is male, macho traditionally is invariable for both gender and number: el pollo macho "the male chicken", los pollos macho "the male chickens", la jirafa macho "the male giraffe", las jirafas macho "the male giraffes". However, some speakers inflect the adjective for number, but not gender in this context, using the form "machos" in the plural, as in los pollos machos, las jirafas machos. To describe masculine women, other words such as marimacho and masculino are used.

Descendants

• → Cebuano: matso
• → Dutch: macho
• → English: macho
• → Japanese: マッチョ (matcho)
• → Swedish: macho
• → Tagalog: matso

Noun

macho m (plural machos)

1. male

   Coordinate term: hembra

2. (slang, Spain) dude

Derived terms

• dulce macho
• helecho macho
• machismo
• machista
• macho alfa
• macho cabrío
• machorra
• machota
• machote
• machuelo
• marimacho
• plátano macho
• yagrumo macho

 

Related terms

• masculino

 

Noun

macho m (plural machos, feminine macha, feminine plural machas)

1. (Costa Rica) person with blond hair

   Synonym: rubio

Etymology 2

Two alternative theories are:

• From Latin marculus (“hammer”), itself related to the base of malleus.
• Variant of mazo (“club”).

Noun

macho m (plural machos)

1. sledgehammer
2. anvil

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

macho

1. first-person singular present indicative of machar

Further reading

• “macho”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

Swahili

Pronunciation

• Audio (Kenya):

  (file)

Noun

macho

1. plural of jicho

Swedish

Adjective

macho (comparative mer macho, superlative mest macho)

1. macho

Usage notes

Uninflected.

Noun

macho c

1. a macho (macho person)

Declension

Declension of macho

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	macho	machos
	definite	machon	machons
plural	indefinite	machos	machos
	definite	machosarna	machosarnas

See also

• karlakarl

References

• macho in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• macho in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)