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macho

MAH-chohˈmatʃo

male

Also: buck
NounmA2
A proud, colorful rooster standing prominently in a green field.

📝 In Action

El león macho está a cargo de proteger la manada.

A2

The male lion is in charge of protecting the pride.

Solo los árboles machos producen polen.

B1

Only the male trees produce pollen.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • varón (male (human))

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • animal macho – male animal

macho man

Also: chauvinist
NounmB1informal
A muscular man wearing a simple tank top, flexing his bicep assertively.

📝 In Action

No seas tan macho, ayúdale a lavar los platos.

B1

Don't be such a macho man, help her wash the dishes.

Su actitud de macho le impide admitir sus errores.

B2

His macho attitude prevents him from admitting his mistakes.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • machista (chauvinist)
  • fanfarrón (braggart)

tough

Also: strong, brave
AdjectivemB1informal
Mexico, Central America
A large, sturdy oak tree with thick roots holding firm against a strong wind.

📝 In Action

Ese tornillo es más macho, aguantará más peso.

B1

That screw is tougher, it will hold more weight.

Fue muy macho al enfrentarse solo al problema.

B2

He was very brave/tough in facing the problem alone.

tap

Also: plug
NounmB2technical
A metal tap tool used for cutting internal screw threads resting on a workbench.

📝 In Action

Necesitamos un macho de métrica 8 para hacer la rosca.

B2

We need an M8 tap to make the thread.

El cable tiene un macho que se conecta a la hembra del enchufe.

C1

The cable has a plug (male connector) that connects to the socket (female connector).

Word Connections

Antonyms

  • hembra (female connector/socket)

Translate to Spanish

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: macho

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'macho' with its negative, cultural meaning?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
machismo(machismo) — Noun
machista(chauvinist) — Adjective / Noun
machada(brave/foolish act) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin word *masculus*, which is the root for 'male' or 'masculine.' Its meaning evolved in Spanish to cover both the biological sex and the cultural concept of exaggerated manliness.

First recorded: Around the 13th century in written Spanish.

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: machoItalian: maschio

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'macho' always a negative word?

Not always. While it often has a strong negative connotation tied to 'machismo' (exaggerated masculinity), it is a neutral, technical term for the male sex of an animal or plant, and sometimes used informally (especially regionally) to mean 'strong' or 'brave' in a positive way.

How is 'macho' different from 'varón'?

'Macho' refers to the male sex of animals (and sometimes humans in a derogatory or technical sense). 'Varón' is the standard, neutral word specifically for a human male.