man-child

noun

ˈman-ˌchī(-ə)ld How to pronounce man-child (audio)
plural men-children ˈmen-ˌchil-drən How to pronounce man-child (audio)
-dərn
1
: a male child : son
… it came to her what a glory it would be to be the mother of a man-child like this.—Jack London
2
: a man who has the qualities of a child : a childlike man
… a largely likable tale about a 38-year-old man-child trying finally to grow up.—Manohla Dargis

Examples of man-child in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Meeting his daughter's man-child boyfriend over the holidays. — Lydia Price, PEOPLE, 23 Dec. 2025 Julio, the bratty, charming man-child, is the lecturer. — Adam Moss, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026 An overachieving teen and her man-child father decide to hike the California coast in this heartwarming story of connection and discovery. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2025 Shajaffar plays Zeba, who is newly married to man-child Sajawal (Hanif) after having three suitors who ended up dying. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for man-child

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of man-child was in the 14th century

Rhymes for man-child

See All Rhymes for man-child

Browse Nearby Words

manchet
man-child
manchineel
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Man-child.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/man-child. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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