Mackem

M3A1C3K5E1M3
UK/ˈmakəm/

noun

A native or inhabitant of Sunderland, England.

Similar
Sunderlander
Scrabble 16
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Meanings

nounMackem (plural Mackems)

plural Mackems · alternative Makem · alternative Mak'em

  1. derogatorysometimesA native or inhabitant of Sunderland, England.

    Your article on England's regional accents confirmed that Geordie has already completely replaced the mackem-speak of Sunderland and other variants in the north-east.

    2011, Peter Cain, The Economist, letter, 18 Jun 2011

    Synonyms: Sunderlander

  2. ball gamesA Sunderland A.F.C. supporter.
proper noun

alternative Makem · alternative Mak'em

  1. The dialect spoken in these areas.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA native or inhabitant of Sunderland, England.

Similar
Sunderlander
Also see
sunderlander

Origin

From regional form of make + 'em, generally linked to the history of shipbuilding in Sunderland. In relation to the nearby port of Newcastle, Sunderlanders would supposedly say "we mack 'em and they tack 'em", with tack being either a regional form of "take" or referring to any of the nautical senses of tack.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Mackem. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Mackem

MLA

“Mackem.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Mackem. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Mackem,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Mackem.

Source: Mackem on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.