macho
/ˈmɑ.t͡ʃoʊ/adjective, noun
macho is spelled M-A-C-H-O: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.8 times per million words in written English, the 20,629th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, macho means “Masculine in an overly assertive or aggressive way. Very masculine” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in macho?
| Letters | 5: M-A-C-H-O |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.8 times per million words; the 20,629th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is macho?
Macho appears 1.8 times per million words in written English, the 20,629th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce macho?
- UK /ˈmæt͡ʃ.əʊ/
- US /ˈmɑ.t͡ʃoʊ/
Macho has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-macho.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with macho?
3 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as macho from its last stressed vowel (/ɑtʃoʊ/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: mocha.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of macho
- more macho comparative
- most macho superlative
- machos plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does macho mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
informalMasculine in an overly assertive or aggressive way. Very masculine.
macho culture
noun
- 1
A macho person; a man who is masculine in an overly assertive or aggressive way.
- 2
A very masculine man.
- 3
Machismo
- 4
The striped mullet of California (Mugil cephalus, syn. Mugil mexicanus).
- 5
A male llama.
noun
- 1
Initialism of massive astrophysical compact halo object.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Macho in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does macho come from?
Borrowed from Spanish macho (“male”), from Latin masculus. Doublet of male.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).