superfluous man

noun

A kind of character derived from the Byronic hero and associated with mid-1800s Russian literature: a man, usually privileged and capable, who flaunts or disregards social norms and exhibits cynicism, self-interest, and existential boredom.

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Meanings

nounsuperfluous man (plural superfluous men)

plural superfluous men

  1. literatureA kind of character derived from the Byronic hero and associated with mid-1800s Russian literature: a man, usually privileged and capable, who flaunts or disregards social norms and exhibits cynicism, self-interest, and existential boredom.
Cite this entry
APA

superfluous man. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/superfluous%20man

MLA

“superfluous man.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/superfluous%20man. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “superfluous man,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/superfluous%20man.

Source: superfluous man on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.