What does merman mean?
A merman is a legendary male sea creature, generally imagined as having a human upper body and a fishlike tail. The word usually appears in folklore, mythology, fantasy literature, film, and other forms of fiction rather than in factual descriptions of marine life. It is the male counterpart of a mermaid, and the two creatures are often mentioned together as a pair. In traditional stories, mermaids and mermen may be beautiful, sympathetic beings, but they can also be dangerous, deceptive, or alien, reflecting the longstanding uncertainty surrounding the sea. The term has a slightly old-fashioned or storybook quality, which makes it especially suitable for legends and imaginative writing. Although it can be understood literally as a “male mermaid,” merman normally refers to a mythical being rather than an ordinary human diver or seafarer.
nounA legendary or mythical male creature with the upper body of a man and the tail of a fish. The term is chiefly used in folklore, fantasy, and fiction.
- A legendary or mythical male creature with the body of a man and the tail of a fish.
"The story portrayed the merman as a solitary guardian of the enchanted sea."
"Fishermen told stories of mermaids and mermen luring sailors away from shore."
"The novel describes a merman who communicates with the sea by blowing on a conch shell."
The usual plural is mermen, formed by changing the ending to -en.
"The old stories speak of mermen who live beneath the western sea."
A merman is folklore’s male mermaid: a human figure with a fish’s tail, often portrayed as both alluring and dangerous.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does merman come from?
Merman was formed in Middle English from mer, meaning “sea,” and man. The same sea-root appears in mermaid and merfolk, while related maritime words such as mariner and marine ultimately trace through other forms to Latin mare, “sea.” The compound reflects the older idea of a human or supernatural creature associated with the ocean.
Related word forms
How merman is actually used
Merman is primarily a literary, folkloric, and fantasy term. It is less common in modern everyday speech than mermaid and may be chosen for its explicitly gendered counterpart or for its sound in storytelling.
Easily confused with merman
A merman is a male mythical sea creature, whereas a mermaid is the female counterpart.