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): /ˈmɑː.t͡ʃoʊ/
Rhymes: -ætʃəʊ, -ɑːtʃəʊ

Adjective

macho (comparative more macho, superlative most macho)

(informal) Tending to display masculine characteristics, such as domineering, fierceness, bravado, etc., in ways that are showily and histrionically tough.
macho culture
- 1997, Carlin, George, “SPORTS ROUNDUP”, in Brain Droppings‎, 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:
  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:
  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, 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)

A macho person; a person who tends to display masculine characteristics, such as domineering, fierceness, and bravado.
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
The striped mullet of California (Mugil cephalus, syn. Mugil mexicanus).
A male llama.
Coordinate term: hembra

Derived terms

machodom
machohood
machoism
machoistically
macho man
machoness

Translations

macho person — See also translations at 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 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

Anagrams

Mocha, mocha

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish macho.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈmɑ.tʃoː/
Audio (file)
Hyphenation: ma‧cho

Adjective

macho (comparative meer macho, superlative meest macho)

macho (pertaining to machismo)

Inflection

Inflection 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)

A macho male.

Finnish

Etymology

From Spanish macho.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈmɑtʃo/, [ˈmɑt̪ʃo̞]

Adjective

macho (comparative machompi, superlative machoin)

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
accusative	gen.	machon	machot
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
instructive		—	machoin
abessive		machotta	machoitta
comitative		—	machoine

Possessive forms of macho (type valo)
Rare. Only used with substantive adjectives.
possessor	singular	plural
1st person	machoni	machomme
2nd person	machosi	machonne
3rd person	machonsa

Noun

macho

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
accusative	gen.	machon	machot
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
instructive		—	machoin
abessive		machotta	machoitta
comitative		—	machoineen

Possessive forms of macho (type valo)
possessor	singular	plural
1st person	machoni	machomme
2nd person	machosi	machonne
3rd person	machonsa

Compounds

machomies

French

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /mat.ʃo/
Audio (file)

Noun

macho m (plural machos)

One who is excessively or aggressively masculine or misogynistic; a chauvinist
Synonym: machiste

Derived terms

machisme
machiste

Anagrams

chôma

Galician

Etymology 1

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

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈmat͡ʃo̝/

Adjective

macho m or f (plural machos)

male

Noun

macho m (plural machos)

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
stud
mule
- c1771, anonymous; Rosario Álvarez & Ernesto González (eds.), Décima xiringatoria:
  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
piece which enters into another

Derived terms

machismo
machista

Related terms

masculino

Etymology 2

From Old Portuguese [Term?], probably from Latin marculus (“hammer”), a diminutive of marcus.[1]

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈmat͡ʃo̝/

Noun

macho m (plural machos)

(regional) rammer

References

“macho” in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval, SLI - ILGA 2006–2022.
“macho” in Xavier Varela Barreiro & Xavier Gómez Guinovart: Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval. SLI / Grupo TALG / ILG, 2006–2018.
“macho” in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega, SLI - ILGA 2006–2013.
“macho” in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega. Santiago: ILG.
“macho” in Álvarez, Rosario (coord.): Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués, Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega.

Joan Coromines; José A. Pascual (1983–1991), “macho II”, in Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico (in Spanish), Madrid: Gredos

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish macho. Doublet of maschio.

Pronunciation

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

Adjective

macho (invariable)

macho

Noun

macho m (invariable)

macho

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish macho, from Vulgar Latin masclus, contracted form of Latin māsculus (“male”).

Pronunciation

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

Noun

macho m pers (indeclinable)

macho (macho person)

Portuguese

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈma.ʃu/

Rhymes: -aʃu
Hyphenation: ma‧cho

Adjective

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

male (belonging or referring to the sex having the smaller gametes)
Synonym: masculino
Coordinate terms: fêmeo, feminino
macho; manly
Synonyms: másculo, varonil, viril
Antonyms: bicha, cagão, covarde, marica, mulherzinha
male (of instruments or tools: designed to fit into or penetrate a “female” counterpart)

Noun

macho m (plural machos)

male
Coordinate term: fêmea
macho; manly man
Antonyms: bicha, cagão, covarde, marica, mulherzinha

Related terms

machão
machismo
machista
masculinidade
masculinizado
masculinizar
masculino
másculo

Descendants

Kabuverdianu: matchu

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish macho or French macho.

Noun

macho m (plural macho)

macho

Declension

Declension of macho

	singular		plural
	indefinite articulation	definite articulation	indefinite articulation	definite articulation
nominative/accusative	(un) macho	machoul	(niște) macho	machoi
genitive/dative	(unui) macho	machoului	(unor) macho	macholor
vocative	machoule		macholor

Spanish

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈmat͡ʃo/ [ˈma.t͡ʃo]
Rhymes: -atʃo
Syllabification: ma‧cho

Etymology 1

From Vulgar Latin masclus, contracted form of Latin masculus (“male”). Doublet of másculo.

Adjective

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

male
strong, brave
(Costa Rica) blond, blonde
Synonym: rubio

Usage notes

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".[1] However, some speakers use the form "machos" with plural agreement marked by adding the suffix -s to the adjective: los pollos machos, las jirafas machos.

To describe masculine women, other words such as marimacho and masculino are used. The feminine forms macha and machas are rare, but exist for sense 3.

Descendants

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

References

“género” in Diccionario panhispánico de dudas, primera edición, Real Academia Española, 2005.

Noun

macho m (plural machos)

male
Coordinate term: hembra
(slang, Spain) dude

Derived terms

dulce macho
machismo
machista
macho alfa
macho cabrío
machorra
machota
machote
marimacho
plátano macho

Related terms

masculino

Etymology 2

Two alternative theories are:

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

Noun

macho m (plural machos)

sledgehammer
anvil

Noun

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

(Costa Rica) person with blond hair
Synonym: rubio

Etymology 4

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

macho

first-person singular present indicative of machar

Swahili

Pronunciation

Audio (Kenya) (file)

Noun

macho

plural of jicho

[1] Joan Coromines; José A. Pascual (1983–1991), “macho II”, in Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico (in Spanish), Madrid: Gredos

[2] “género” in Diccionario panhispánico de dudas, primera edición, Real Academia Española, 2005.

macho

English

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Translations

Noun

Derived terms

Translations

Related terms

Anagrams

Dutch

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Inflection

Derived terms

Noun

Finnish

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Declension

Noun

Declension

Compounds

French

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Derived terms

Further reading

Anagrams

Galician

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Adjective

Noun

Derived terms

Related terms

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Noun

References

Italian

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Noun

Further reading

Polish

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Further reading

Portuguese

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Noun

Related terms

Descendants

Further reading

Romanian

Etymology

Noun

Declension

Spanish

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Adjective

Usage notes

Descendants

References

Noun

Derived terms

Related terms

Etymology 2

Noun

Noun