"alpha male" meaning in English

See alpha male in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

Forms: more alpha male [comparative], most alpha male [superlative]
Etymology: Originally used in scientific research of hierarchies in social animals, the term is now often applied to men with dominating characteristics. Already in some use during the 1990s, it was further popularized by Neil Strauss in The Game (2005). Head templates: {{en-adj}} alpha male (comparative more alpha male, superlative most alpha male)
  1. Exhibiting the characteristics of a dominant male; dominant, assertive, and protective. Related terms: alpha pair
    Sense id: en-alpha_male-en-adj-y~Np2yij Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 27 34 39

Noun

Forms: alpha males [plural]
Etymology: Originally used in scientific research of hierarchies in social animals, the term is now often applied to men with dominating characteristics. Already in some use during the 1990s, it was further popularized by Neil Strauss in The Game (2005). Head templates: {{en-noun}} alpha male (plural alpha males)
  1. (zoology, ethology) The dominant male in a group of animals. Categories (topical): Ethology, Zoology, Male people, Seduction community Coordinate_terms: alpha female, beta male, gamma male, delta male, sigma male, omega male Translations (dominant male animal): 首領 (animal) (Chinese Mandarin), 首领 (shǒulǐng) (Chinese Mandarin), 領頭雄性動物 (Chinese Mandarin), 领头雄性动物 (lǐngtóu xióngxìng dòngwù) (Chinese Mandarin), 首領 (man) (Chinese Mandarin), 領頭男子 (Chinese Mandarin), 领头男子 (lǐngtóu nánzǐ) (Chinese Mandarin), alfa samec [masculine] (Czech), alfahan [common-gender] (Danish), alfamannetje [neuter] (Dutch), alfauros (Finnish), mâle dominant [masculine] (French), mâle alpha [masculine] (French), macho alfa [masculine] (Galician), Alpha-Männchen [neuter] (German), Alphamännchen [neuter] (German), Platzhirsch (english: deer) [masculine] (German), Alphawolf (english: wolf) [masculine] (German), Leitwolf (english: wolf) [masculine] (German), Alpharüde (english: canine) [masculine] (German), Leitbulle (english: bovine) [masculine] (German), Alphatier [feminine, masculine, neuter] (German), Leittier [feminine, masculine, neuter] (German), άλφα αρσενικό (álfa arsenikó) [neuter] (Greek), vezérhím (Hungarian), alfahím (Hungarian), maschio alfa [masculine] (Italian), 第1位オス (dai ichii osu) (Japanese), アルファ・オス (arufa osu) (Japanese), alfahann [masculine] (Norwegian Bokmål), alfahann [masculine] (Norwegian Nynorsk), samiec alfa [masculine] (Polish), macho alfa [masculine] (Portuguese), а́льфа-саме́ц (álʹfa-saméc) [masculine] (Russian), вожа́к (vožák) (alt: ста́и) [masculine] (Russian), alfa mužjak [masculine] (Serbo-Croatian), алфа мужјак [masculine] (Serbo-Croatian), macho alfa [masculine] (Spanish), alfahanne [common-gender] (Swedish), จ่าฝูง (jàa-fǔung) (Thai), а́льфа-саме́ць (álʹfa-samécʹ) (Ukrainian), gwryw alffa [masculine] (Welsh)
    Sense id: en-alpha_male-en-noun-rrBu-EeQ Disambiguation of Male people: 30 45 24 Disambiguation of Seduction community: 31 42 26 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 27 34 39 Topics: biology, natural-sciences, zoology Disambiguation of 'dominant male animal': 67 33
  2. (by extension) A dominant, assertive, protective, oftentimes successful, leadership-type man or male. Tags: broadly Synonyms: alpha, male alpha Translations (figuratively: leading man): 阿爾法男 (Chinese Mandarin), 阿尔法男 (ā'ěrfǎ nán) (Chinese Mandarin), alfauros (Finnish), Leitwolf [masculine] (German), Alphamann [masculine] (German), 男の中の男 (otoko no naka no otoko) (Japanese), samiec alfa [masculine] (Polish), macho alfa [masculine] (Portuguese), macho alfa [masculine] (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-alpha_male-en-noun-gcDOr-GC Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 27 34 39 Disambiguation of 'figuratively: leading man': 30 70

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for alpha male meaning in English (13.4kB)

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  "etymology_text": "Originally used in scientific research of hierarchies in social animals, the term is now often applied to men with dominating characteristics. Already in some use during the 1990s, it was further popularized by Neil Strauss in The Game (2005).",
  "forms": [
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      "form": "alpha males",
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      "args": {},
      "expansion": "alpha male (plural alpha males)",
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
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      "categories": [
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          "_dis": "30 45 24",
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          "_dis": "31 42 26",
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      "coordinate_terms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "57 43",
          "word": "alpha female"
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        {
          "_dis1": "57 43",
          "word": "beta male"
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        {
          "_dis1": "57 43",
          "word": "gamma male"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "57 43",
          "word": "delta male"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "57 43",
          "word": "sigma male"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "57 43",
          "word": "omega male"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The dominant male in a group of animals."
      ],
      "id": "en-alpha_male-en-noun-rrBu-EeQ",
      "links": [
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      "qualifier": "ethology",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(zoology, ethology) The dominant male in a group of animals."
      ],
      "topics": [
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      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "animal",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "word": "首領"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "shǒulǐng",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "word": "首领"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "word": "領頭雄性動物"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "lǐngtóu xióngxìng dòngwù",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "word": "领头雄性动物"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "man",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "word": "首領"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "word": "領頭男子"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "lǐngtóu nánzǐ",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "word": "领头男子"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "alfa samec"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "tags": [
            "common-gender"
          ],
          "word": "alfahan"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "alfamannetje"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "word": "alfauros"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "mâle dominant"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "mâle alpha"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "gl",
          "lang": "Galician",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "macho alfa"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "Alpha-Männchen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "Alphamännchen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "de",
          "english": "deer",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Platzhirsch"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "de",
          "english": "wolf",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Alphawolf"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "de",
          "english": "wolf",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Leitwolf"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "de",
          "english": "canine",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Alpharüde"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "de",
          "english": "bovine",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Leitbulle"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "tags": [
            "feminine",
            "masculine",
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "Alphatier"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "tags": [
            "feminine",
            "masculine",
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "Leittier"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "álfa arsenikó",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "άλφα αρσενικό"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "word": "vezérhím"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "word": "alfahím"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "maschio alfa"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "dai ichii osu",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "word": "第1位オス"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "arufa osu",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "word": "アルファ・オス"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "nb",
          "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "alfahann"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "nn",
          "lang": "Norwegian Nynorsk",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "alfahann"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "samiec alfa"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "macho alfa"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "álʹfa-saméc",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "а́льфа-саме́ц"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "alt": "ста́и",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "vožák",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "вожа́к"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "alfa mužjak"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "алфа мужјак"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "macho alfa"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "tags": [
            "common-gender"
          ],
          "word": "alfahanne"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "th",
          "lang": "Thai",
          "roman": "jàa-fǔung",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "word": "จ่าฝูง"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "álʹfa-samécʹ",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "word": "а́льфа-саме́ць"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "67 33",
          "code": "cy",
          "lang": "Welsh",
          "sense": "dominant male animal",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "gwryw alffa"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "omega male"
        }
      ],
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      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2000 Feb, Black Enterprise, Alpha Male Investing, volume 30, number 7, page 54",
          "text": "Alpha male investing Aggressive stock-picker on the prowl for less risky financial plan Stanley Richards may have been a latecomer to investing, but he's made up for lost time by aggressively buying",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2007, Paul Dobransky, L. A. Stamford, The Secret Psychology of How We Fall in Love, link",
          "text": "This alpha-male status gives him the highest opportunity to mate with many of the best genetic examples of the females in his liking",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "year unknown, Wings Of Success, How to Attract Anything You want in Life, page 32",
          "text": "The alpha male, is lucky in this regard, since he has a gang and while he must protect them all"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012 June 28, Jamie Jackson, “Wimbledon 2012: Lukas Rosol shocked by miracle win over Rafael Nadal”, in the Guardian",
          "text": "Nadal is supposedly the alpha male in any slugfest. But Rosol's forehand shots were being sent towards the Majorcan at 93mph plus, and his was the fastest serve at 134mph.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2015 March 12, Daniel Taylor, “Chelsea out of Champions League after Thiago Silva sends 10-man PSG through on away goals”, in The Guardian (London)",
          "text": "Fàbregas is having a lapse in form and Costa seems so preoccupied with alpha-male aggro it possibly distracts him from the rather more important task of beating the opposition goalkeeper.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2016 October 10, Dean Burnett, “Do alpha males even exist?”, in The Guardian",
          "text": "Maybe the supposed human alpha male is a combination of disgruntled male wish fulfilment and borderline-pseudoscientific justification for resorting to bullying, intimidation and generally all-round unpleasant behaviour by men hoping to impose their will on a world they find too complex and unnerving so revert to their baser instincts to get what they want, despite knowing deep down they don’t deserve it and shouldn’t have it?",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A dominant, assertive, protective, oftentimes successful, leadership-type man or male."
      ],
      "id": "en-alpha_male-en-noun-gcDOr-GC",
      "links": [
        [
          "dominant",
          "dominant"
        ],
        [
          "assertive",
          "assertive"
        ],
        [
          "protective",
          "protective"
        ],
        [
          "successful",
          "successful"
        ],
        [
          "leadership",
          "leadership"
        ],
        [
          "type",
          "type"
        ],
        [
          "man",
          "man"
        ],
        [
          "male",
          "male"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(by extension) A dominant, assertive, protective, oftentimes successful, leadership-type man or male."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "alpha"
        },
        {
          "word": "male alpha"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "broadly"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "30 70",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "figuratively: leading man",
          "word": "阿爾法男"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "30 70",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "ā'ěrfǎ nán",
          "sense": "figuratively: leading man",
          "word": "阿尔法男"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "30 70",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "figuratively: leading man",
          "word": "alfauros"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "30 70",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "figuratively: leading man",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Leitwolf"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "30 70",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "figuratively: leading man",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Alphamann"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "30 70",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "otoko no naka no otoko",
          "sense": "figuratively: leading man",
          "word": "男の中の男"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "30 70",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "figuratively: leading man",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "samiec alfa"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "30 70",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "figuratively: leading man",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "macho alfa"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "30 70",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "figuratively: leading man",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "macho alfa"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Neil Strauss",
    "The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists"
  ],
  "word": "alpha male"
}

{
  "etymology_text": "Originally used in scientific research of hierarchies in social animals, the term is now often applied to men with dominating characteristics. Already in some use during the 1990s, it was further popularized by Neil Strauss in The Game (2005).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more alpha male",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most alpha male",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "alpha male (comparative more alpha male, superlative most alpha male)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "27 34 39",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2012, Ben Evans, Tragedy and Triumph in Orbit, page 78",
          "text": "You don't get more alpha male than this, I thought.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Exhibiting the characteristics of a dominant male; dominant, assertive, and protective."
      ],
      "id": "en-alpha_male-en-adj-y~Np2yij",
      "links": [
        [
          "dominant",
          "dominant"
        ],
        [
          "assertive",
          "assertive"
        ],
        [
          "protective",
          "protective"
        ]
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "alpha pair"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Neil Strauss",
    "The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists"
  ],
  "word": "alpha male"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "en:Male people",
    "en:Seduction community"
  ],
  "coordinate_terms": [
    {
      "word": "alpha female"
    },
    {
      "word": "beta male"
    },
    {
      "word": "gamma male"
    },
    {
      "word": "delta male"
    },
    {
      "word": "sigma male"
    },
    {
      "word": "omega male"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Originally used in scientific research of hierarchies in social animals, the term is now often applied to men with dominating characteristics. Already in some use during the 1990s, it was further popularized by Neil Strauss in The Game (2005).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "alpha males",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "alpha male (plural alpha males)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "en:Ethology",
        "en:Zoology"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The dominant male in a group of animals."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "zoology",
          "zoology"
        ],
        [
          "ethology",
          "ethology"
        ],
        [
          "dominant",
          "dominant"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "ethology",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(zoology, ethology) The dominant male in a group of animals."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "biology",
        "natural-sciences",
        "zoology"
      ]
    },
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "omega male"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2000 Feb, Black Enterprise, Alpha Male Investing, volume 30, number 7, page 54",
          "text": "Alpha male investing Aggressive stock-picker on the prowl for less risky financial plan Stanley Richards may have been a latecomer to investing, but he's made up for lost time by aggressively buying",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2007, Paul Dobransky, L. A. Stamford, The Secret Psychology of How We Fall in Love, link",
          "text": "This alpha-male status gives him the highest opportunity to mate with many of the best genetic examples of the females in his liking",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "year unknown, Wings Of Success, How to Attract Anything You want in Life, page 32",
          "text": "The alpha male, is lucky in this regard, since he has a gang and while he must protect them all"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012 June 28, Jamie Jackson, “Wimbledon 2012: Lukas Rosol shocked by miracle win over Rafael Nadal”, in the Guardian",
          "text": "Nadal is supposedly the alpha male in any slugfest. But Rosol's forehand shots were being sent towards the Majorcan at 93mph plus, and his was the fastest serve at 134mph.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2015 March 12, Daniel Taylor, “Chelsea out of Champions League after Thiago Silva sends 10-man PSG through on away goals”, in The Guardian (London)",
          "text": "Fàbregas is having a lapse in form and Costa seems so preoccupied with alpha-male aggro it possibly distracts him from the rather more important task of beating the opposition goalkeeper.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2016 October 10, Dean Burnett, “Do alpha males even exist?”, in The Guardian",
          "text": "Maybe the supposed human alpha male is a combination of disgruntled male wish fulfilment and borderline-pseudoscientific justification for resorting to bullying, intimidation and generally all-round unpleasant behaviour by men hoping to impose their will on a world they find too complex and unnerving so revert to their baser instincts to get what they want, despite knowing deep down they don’t deserve it and shouldn’t have it?",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A dominant, assertive, protective, oftentimes successful, leadership-type man or male."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "dominant",
          "dominant"
        ],
        [
          "assertive",
          "assertive"
        ],
        [
          "protective",
          "protective"
        ],
        [
          "successful",
          "successful"
        ],
        [
          "leadership",
          "leadership"
        ],
        [
          "type",
          "type"
        ],
        [
          "man",
          "man"
        ],
        [
          "male",
          "male"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(by extension) A dominant, assertive, protective, oftentimes successful, leadership-type man or male."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "alpha"
        },
        {
          "word": "male alpha"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "broadly"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "animal",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "word": "首領"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "shǒulǐng",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "word": "首领"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "word": "領頭雄性動物"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "lǐngtóu xióngxìng dòngwù",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "word": "领头雄性动物"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "man",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "word": "首領"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "shǒulǐng",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "word": "首领"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "word": "領頭男子"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "lǐngtóu nánzǐ",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "word": "领头男子"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "alfa samec"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "tags": [
        "common-gender"
      ],
      "word": "alfahan"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "alfamannetje"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "word": "alfauros"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "mâle dominant"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "mâle alpha"
    },
    {
      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "macho alfa"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "Alpha-Männchen"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "Alphamännchen"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "english": "deer",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Platzhirsch"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "english": "wolf",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Alphawolf"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "english": "wolf",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Leitwolf"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "english": "canine",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Alpharüde"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "english": "bovine",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Leitbulle"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "tags": [
        "feminine",
        "masculine",
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "Alphatier"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "tags": [
        "feminine",
        "masculine",
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "Leittier"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "álfa arsenikó",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "άλφα αρσενικό"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "word": "vezérhím"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "word": "alfahím"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "maschio alfa"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "dai ichii osu",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "word": "第1位オス"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "arufa osu",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "word": "アルファ・オス"
    },
    {
      "code": "nb",
      "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "alfahann"
    },
    {
      "code": "nn",
      "lang": "Norwegian Nynorsk",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "alfahann"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "samiec alfa"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "macho alfa"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "álʹfa-saméc",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "а́льфа-саме́ц"
    },
    {
      "alt": "ста́и",
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "vožák",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "вожа́к"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "alfa mužjak"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "алфа мужјак"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "macho alfa"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "tags": [
        "common-gender"
      ],
      "word": "alfahanne"
    },
    {
      "code": "th",
      "lang": "Thai",
      "roman": "jàa-fǔung",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "word": "จ่าฝูง"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "álʹfa-samécʹ",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "word": "а́льфа-саме́ць"
    },
    {
      "code": "cy",
      "lang": "Welsh",
      "sense": "dominant male animal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "gwryw alffa"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "figuratively: leading man",
      "word": "阿爾法男"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "ā'ěrfǎ nán",
      "sense": "figuratively: leading man",
      "word": "阿尔法男"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "figuratively: leading man",
      "word": "alfauros"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "figuratively: leading man",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Leitwolf"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "figuratively: leading man",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Alphamann"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "otoko no naka no otoko",
      "sense": "figuratively: leading man",
      "word": "男の中の男"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "figuratively: leading man",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "samiec alfa"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "figuratively: leading man",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "macho alfa"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "figuratively: leading man",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "macho alfa"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Neil Strauss",
    "The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists"
  ],
  "word": "alpha male"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English adjectives",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "en:Male people",
    "en:Seduction community"
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Originally used in scientific research of hierarchies in social animals, the term is now often applied to men with dominating characteristics. Already in some use during the 1990s, it was further popularized by Neil Strauss in The Game (2005).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more alpha male",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most alpha male",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "alpha male (comparative more alpha male, superlative most alpha male)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "alpha pair"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2012, Ben Evans, Tragedy and Triumph in Orbit, page 78",
          "text": "You don't get more alpha male than this, I thought.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Exhibiting the characteristics of a dominant male; dominant, assertive, and protective."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "dominant",
          "dominant"
        ],
        [
          "assertive",
          "assertive"
        ],
        [
          "protective",
          "protective"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "Neil Strauss",
    "The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists"
  ],
  "word": "alpha male"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-03 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.