Showing aggressive masculine pride or behavior; characterized by an exaggerated sense of masculinity.
From Spanish macho meaning 'male' or 'masculine', ultimately from Latin masculus. Entered English in the mid-20th century, particularly through Mexican-American cultural contact.
The concept of 'machismo' varies dramatically across cultures - what seems aggressively masculine in one society might be considered normal male behavior in another, revealing how gender performance is culturally constructed rather than biologically determined.
From Spanish 'macho' (male), entered English in the 1920s to describe exaggerated masculine performance; reinforced a binary where dominance=male virtue, weakness=female or lesser, embedding gender hierarchy into the term.
Use 'aggressive,' 'domineering,' or 'hypermasculine' instead. These describe behavior without naturalizing it as inherent to maleness or creating gendered opposites.
["domineering","aggressive","hypermasculine","combative"]
Toxic masculinity norms harm men who don't perform dominance; reclaiming respect for masculine traits beyond aggression supports all genders.
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