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womanize

verb

Pronunciation

UK

  • /wˈʊmənˌaɪz/

US

  • /ˈwʊməˌnaɪz/

Description

To "womanize" does not mean simply dating. It describes a pattern in which a man seeks romantic or sexual attention from many women, often by being dishonest and without any real wish to commit. The word is negative and suggests that he does not care much about the feelings of the women involved. Think of a character in a novel who wins over one woman after another with charm and big promises, then disappears when things become serious. The term is almost always used about men.

The word brings to mind someone who cares more about the chase than about real connection. Dating several people is not automatically wrong, but womanizing suggests a habit of leading people on, using charm for selfish reasons, and moving on quickly. You might hear it in historical dramas about charming nobles or in modern stories about people with poor relationship habits.

Examples

  1. 1

    Reckless youth

    In his twenties, he spent most weekends drinking and womanizing.

  2. 2

    Relationship betrayal

    She broke up with him after learning that he had been womanizing for months.

  3. 3

    Political scandal

    The senator's womanizing became a major issue in the campaign.

  4. 4

    Personal change

    He later said he had stopped womanizing and was trying to change.

Forms and spellings

4 forms open this card.

Main spelling

  • womanizeverb

Forms

  • womanizing-ing formverb
  • womanizedpast tenseverb
  • womanizesverb