ladies' man
C1Informal
Definition
Meaning
A man who enjoys, is particularly popular with, or seeks the company of women.
A man who cultivates a charming, flirtatious, or gallant persona specifically to appeal to women. It often implies he is more comfortable in female company and may actively pursue romantic or social attention from women.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The term has evolved and can carry a slightly old-fashioned or playful connotation. While it traditionally implied charm and social success with women, it can sometimes imply a lack of seriousness or a tendency to flirt excessively, without necessarily being pejorative.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is used identically in both varieties. The spelling "ladies' man" (with the apostrophe) is standard in both, though often misspelled as "lady's man".
Connotations
Slightly more likely to be used with a tone of gentle teasing or affectionate irony in British English. In American English, it may be used more directly as a descriptor.
Frequency
Equally common and understood in both dialects. Possibly slightly more frequent in American media/pop culture depictions.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
be a ladies' manhave a reputation as a ladies' manconsider someone a ladies' manVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A man for the ladies”
- “Has a way with the ladies”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rarely used. If used, it would be in very informal gossip (e.g., 'He's a bit of a ladies' man in the accounts department').
Academic
Not used in formal academic contexts. Might appear in literary or sociological analysis of character types.
Everyday
Common in informal conversation, storytelling, and media descriptions of personality.
Technical
Not a technical term.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He does love to ladies'-man his way around the office party.
- (Note: highly non-standard, playful verbing)
American English
- He spent the evening ladies'-manning at the bar, buying drinks for everyone. (Note: highly non-standard, playful verbing)
adjective
British English
- He has a certain ladies'-man charm about him. (Note: hyphenated adjectival use is non-standard)
American English
- His ladies'-man persona was a bit over the top. (Note: hyphenated adjectival use is non-standard)
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My uncle is a real ladies' man; he always tells funny stories.
- Despite his shy appearance, he cultivated a reputation as quite the ladies' man at university.
- She wasn't interested in his ladies' man routine; she found it insincere.
- His affable, ladies' man exterior belied a surprisingly shrewd and calculating mind.
- The film portrayed the aging actor not as a triumphant playboy, but as a lonely, fading ladies' man clinging to past glories.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a man surrounded by a group of **ladies** at a party, charming them all. The apostrophe in 'ladies'' shows the man belongs to the realm of the ladies.
Conceptual Metaphor
SOCIAL SUCCESS IS A POSSESSION (He 'has' the ladies). CHARM IS A TOOL (He uses his charm as an instrument).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calques like "дамский мужчина" or "женский мужчина" as they are nonsensical. The correct conceptual translation is "дамский угодник" or "бабник", though the latter is more strongly negative ('womanizer'). "Покоритель женских сердец" is a more literary option.
Common Mistakes
- Misspelling as 'lady's man' (singular possessive) instead of the correct 'ladies' man' (plural possessive). Using it in overly formal contexts. Confusing it with 'gentleman', which implies manners, not necessarily romantic pursuit.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the CLOSEST synonym to 'ladies' man' in its most neutral sense?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is context-dependent. It can be a light-hearted compliment on someone's social charm or a gentle tease about their flirtatiousness. It becomes more negative if used with words like 'sleazy' or 'pathetic'.
The correct, standard spelling is 'ladies' man' (with the apostrophe after the 's'). This is the plural possessive, meaning 'a man of the ladies'.
No, the term is inherently gender-specific. The approximate female equivalent would be a 'flirt', 'siren', or 'man-eater', though these carry different connotations.
A 'ladies' man' emphasizes charm and enjoyment of female company, which may or may not involve deceit or many short-term relationships. A 'womanizer' is stronger and explicitly negative, implying a pattern of seducing and quickly abandoning women.
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