What does manful mean?
Manful is an adjective meaning brave, resolute, and strong in character, especially when facing difficulty. Its wording carries an explicitly gendered history: the word was formed from man and the suffix -ful, so it originally denoted someone having the qualities associated with a man, particularly courage and strength. In modern usage, manful describes a person or an action marked by determined effort, endurance, or unyielding spirit, as in a manful attempt to succeed. It is formal and somewhat literary, and many speakers now prefer courageous, brave, or resolute because those alternatives avoid the historical gender assumptions of the source word. Nevertheless, manful can be effective when the point is precisely a display of steadfast, traditionally masculine courage. The word is recognized in standard British and American English but is less frequent than its plainer synonyms. It should not be confused with manifold, which means numerous or various, or with manlike, which means resembling a man rather than brave.
adjectiveHaving courage, strength of character, and determination, especially in a difficult situation; resolute and manly.
- Characterized by courage, resolution, and strength of character, especially in difficult circumstances.
"He displayed manful courage in the face of overwhelming odds."
"He made a manful attempt to calm the frightened crowd."
"Her manful resistance kept the project alive despite repeated setbacks."
Manful packs an entire ideal of masculine courage into one word: it began by describing the qualities of a man and became shorthand for bravery and unyielding resolve.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of manful
Manful was formed in English from man and the suffix -ful, a productive suffix forming adjectives from nouns. The word is attested in Middle English and came to denote someone having the qualities of a man, especially courage and strength. Manly and manhood continue the same English base, while forms such as German männlich and Dutch mannelijk represent parallel developments from Germanic words for man.
Related word forms
How manful is actually used
Formal and literary, with a somewhat old-fashioned air. In modern English, courageous, brave, and resolute are more common and less explicitly gender-marked.
Easily confused with manful
Manful means brave or resolute, whereas manifold means numerous, varied, or of many forms.
Manful describes courage or strength of character, whereas manlike means resembling a man in appearance or manner.