What does womaniser mean?
A womaniser is a man who has sexual relationships with numerous women in succession, and the word can also be used as a verb for that behaviour. In British English it is usually spelled womaniser, with -iser; in American English womanizer is the standard spelling. The term is commonly derogatory or strongly disapproving rather than neutral: it presents the man's pattern of relationships as evidence of disloyalty, deception, or treating partners as conquests. It is often paired with “serial,” especially in tabloid and political reporting, though that pairing does not by itself establish a particular factual charge. The word belongs chiefly to the vocabulary of British press, commentary, and everyday criticism, while American usage normally chooses the -izer form. As a noun, a womaniser has the plural womanisers. As a verb, womanise has the third-person form womanises and the present participle womanising. Because the expression carries an explicit moral judgment, it is more suitable in reporting a character's reputation or analysing language than as an uncritical description of consensual non-monogamous relationships.
A man who has successive sexual relationships with numerous women.
"The novel portrays him as an irrepressible womaniser who leaves each lover behind."
Usually disparaging; the term is especially common in British English.
To have successive sexual relationships with numerous women.
"He was accused of womanising colleagues as well as friends."
Strongly disapproving and more often used in reporting or criticism than in neutral description.
The standard plural is used when referring to more than one man who has had successive relationships with numerous women.
"Two of her former colleagues were notorious womanisers."
In British English, womaniser takes the -iser spelling; in American English, the same accusation usually appears as womanizer.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of womaniser
Womaniser was formed in English by adding the agentive suffix -er to the verb womanise, which in turn combines woman with -ise. Woman is an inherited English word recorded in Old English as wimman and wymmman, although the deeper origin of that word is uncertain. The construction is paralleled by other English agent nouns ending in -iser, and its British spelling reflects the widespread British use of -ise where American English more often uses -ize.
Related word forms
How womaniser is actually used
The term is strongly disapproving and commonly presents a man's pattern of relationships as evidence of disloyalty, deception, or treating women as conquests. It is more appropriate when reporting or analysing an established characterisation than when neutrally describing consensual non-monogamous relationships.
Easily confused with womaniser
Womaniser and womanizer have the same meaning and grammatical uses; womaniser is the usual British spelling, while womanizer is standard in American English.