man up
B2 informal intransitive
In simple words
Be brave and stop complaining about something hard.
Literal meaning: To become more of a man — the idiomatic meaning retains this core idea of stereotypically male toughness.
Meanings
1 B2
idiomatic
informal
To show courage, strength, or determination in the face of a difficult or frightening situation.
"You need to man up and tell your boss that you disagree with the decision."
"Man up. Say it to your president."
— Michelle Obama, campaign speech, 2016 (widely reported)
2 B2
idiomatic
informal
To accept responsibility for one's actions or obligations, especially when one would prefer to avoid them.
"He needed to man up and apologise to everyone he had hurt."
Usage notes
Widely used but increasingly criticised for reinforcing toxic masculinity and gender stereotypes. Many speakers now prefer gender-neutral alternatives like 'toughen up' or 'step up'. Primarily used as a direct imperative.
Commonly used with
stop complaining face it deal with it take responsibility show courage
Forms
Base
man up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
mans up
he/she/it
Past simple
maned up
yesterday
Past participle
maned up
have + pp
-ing form
maning up
continuous
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Synonyms
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