What does womanize mean?
Womanize is a verb meaning to behave promiscuously with women, particularly by having sexual relations with multiple partners. It is traditionally used of a man and is often accusatory or judgmental in tone: calling someone a womanizer implies not merely frequent sexual activity but a pattern of treating women as interchangeable sexual partners. The word can appear in journalism, literary criticism, historical narrative, and informal conversation, though its gendered wording may sound old-fashioned in contemporary use. More neutral alternatives include “be promiscuous,” “sleep around,” or “have multiple partners,” depending on the context. Womanize is especially useful when the gender of the people involved is relevant, but it should not be treated as a general synonym for every form of sexual promiscuity. Its related noun, womanizer, names a person characterized by this behavior and generally carries a stronger negative judgment.
verbTo behave promiscuously with women, especially by having sexual relations with multiple women.
- To behave promiscuously with women, especially by having sexual relations with multiple women.
"The film portrays a club owner who womanizes openly while maintaining a relationship with his family."
"He was accused of womanizing while touring with the band."
"The film portrays a club owner who womanizes openly."
The word smuggles the actor’s gender into the verb: it does not merely mean “be promiscuous,” but “be promiscuous with women.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does womanize come from?
Womanize was formed in 19th-century English from “woman” and the productive suffix “-ize,” which was widely used to create verbs expressing an action or tendency. The related noun “womanizer” was likewise formed from the same base and came to denote a man considered sexually promiscuous with women.
Related word forms
How womanize is actually used
Informal to mildly derogatory and traditionally used for a man who has sexual relations with multiple women. “Be promiscuous” is a more neutral modern alternative when the relevant details are already clear.
Easily confused with womanize
Womanize is the verb describing promiscuous sexual behavior, while a womanizer is the noun naming a person regarded as doing so.