List of 426 Sets of Synonyms - How they Differ - Total of 2307 Words - 231

SYNONYMS: male, masculine, manlike, manly, virile, mannish.
These adjectives mean of, relating to, characteristic of, or appropriate to men.

Male, l ike female, categorizes by sex; the term is not limited in application to human beings: a male infant; a male dachshund.
Masculine as the opposite of feminine often refers to what is considered characteristic of men: a masculine appearance; masculine attire.
Manlike usually suggests qualities belonging or held by some to be proper to a man (manlike physical strength); often, however, it may indicate resemblance to a humans (manlike apes).
Manly connotes qualities regarded as becoming to a man: manly power in combat.
Virile stresses the spirit, strength, vigor, power, or sexual potency of an adult male: The virile figure of Theodore Roosevelt swung down the national highway.
Mannish usually applies to women or their traits, clothing, or actions when they are suggestive of what is deemed by some to be more proper to a man than to a woman: a mannish cut to the suit; a mannish gait.