mansplay

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UK/manˈspleɪ/UK/ˈmanspleɪ/US/mænˈspleɪ/US/ˈmænspleɪ/

verb

To spread one’s thighs widely while seated, exposing one’s crotch and taking up space from any adjacent seats.

Similar
manspread
Scrabble 15
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Meanings

verbmansplay (third-person singular simple present mansplays, present participle mansplaying, simple past and past participle mansplayed)

present singular third person mansplays · participle present mansplaying · participle past mansplayed · past mansplayed

  1. derogatoryinformalintransitiveTo spread one’s thighs widely while seated, exposing one’s crotch and taking up space from any adjacent seats.

    A copiously tattooed young man in a blue jumpsuit sits mansplayed across from her, shackled to the rail on his side of the hallway, staring at Penny.

    2024, Christina Lynch, Pony Confidential, Penguin, →ISBN

    Synonyms: manspread

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo spread one’s thighs widely while seated, exposing one’s crotch and taking up space from any adjacent seats.

Similar
manspread
Also see
manspread

Origin

From man + splay, probably by wordplay on mansplain.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

mansplay. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mansplay

MLA

“mansplay.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mansplay. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mansplay,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mansplay.

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