Make Your Point: MACHISMO

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pronounce MACHISMO:

muh CHEEZE mo

connect this word to others:

The amusing word machismo derives from Spanish. So do these:

1. Spanish for "little sin," a pecca____o is a small, unimportant sin or fault.

2. Spanish for "The Gilded," El D___do (two words) is any real or imagined place filled with incredible riches or opportunities.

3. From a Spanish word for "rogue," pic___que describes things that remind you of a roguish hero or a grand adventure story. (This one's the title of an excellent album by The Decemberists.)

(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)

definition:

(Source)

"Machismo" comes right from Mexican Spanish, where it means "manliness," and traces back further to the Spanish macho, meaning "male." We've used it in English since the 1940s to mean "extreme manliness, or extreme manly pride."

In other words, machismo is a display of overdone masculinity: a show of being a big, strong, proud, powerful, brave, important man.

grammatical bits:

Part of speech:

Noun, the uncountable kind: "The meme format above, called Overly Manly Man, pokes fun at machismo." "In Beauty and the Beast, Gaston oozes machismo."

Other forms:

Although some writers occasionally use "machismo" as an adjective, as in "a machismo attitude," I don't recommend that. It sounds odd. How about just "macho" instead?

how to use it:

Pick the critical, funny-sounding, semi-common word "machismo" when you want to label people's behavior as outrageously manly: extremely macho, exaggeratedly tough, or ridiculously rugged.

You might say that a song, a movie, or a character displays, exudes, symbolizes, or glorifies machismo. Or say that an actor portrays a character with machismo. Or, you might complain about a culture of machismo in a certain activity or place.

examples:

"[The music Tom Whitlock wrote] for 'Top Gun,' the hit Tom Cruise movie about fighter jets and machismo, has especially endured."
— Daniel Victor, New York Times, 23 February 2023

"In a society that tolerates or rewards hazing, gangsta rap and trash talk in sports and in political discourse, boys may think that parading their domination over others is a sign of maturity or machismo."
— Richard Corliss, Time, 29 March 2023

has this page helped you understand "machismo"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this term, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "machismo" without saying "toxic masculinity" or "laughable manliness."

try it out:

When I think of machismo, I think of Ron Burgundy, Will Ferrell's character in Anchorman. He's always smoking, drinking, objectifying women, and saying things like "I'm kind of a big deal... I'm very important. I have many leather-bound books and my apartment smells of rich mahogany."

Who's a character that, to you, embodies machismo?

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for April: Word Choice Chuckles!

I'll give you a snippet of text that I spotted in the wild, with a word or phrase removed. See if you can fill one in that'll give the reader a chuckle. (Here are some examples.) Be cheesy. Be punny. Get in there and make me proud.

Try this one today:

"Isn't It Time to _____ Senior Discounts?"
— Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 28 February 2025

Meaning of the missing word: "end."

To see one possible answer, scroll all the way down.

review this word:

1. Some near opposites of MACHISMO are

A. WIT and TALENT.
B. GENTLENESS and TENDERNESS.
C. INTELLECT and SOPHISTICATION.

2. Another meme about machismo has ____ saying "_____"

A. a dog .. I did the math. We can't afford the cat.
B. a boxer .. Concealed weapons? You mean hands in my pockets?
C. Scumbag Brain .. Hey you know those 1,000s of words in your vocabulary? Here's five of them.

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.

I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.

From my blog:
On vocabulary...
  36 ways to study words.
  Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
  How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
On writing...
How to improve any sentence.
How to motivate our kids to write.
How to stop procrastinating and start writing.
How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count.

From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.

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