Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

alpha male

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.16 in modern English

Syllables: al-pha -male
IPA

16

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

3

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The dominant male in a group of animals.

noun

A dominant, assertive, protective, oftentimes successful, leadership-type man or male.

adj

Exhibiting the characteristics of a dominant male; dominant, assertive, and protective.

Example Sentences

"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"
"This alpha-male status gives him the highest opportunity to mate with many of the best genetic examples of the females in his liking"
"The alpha male, is lucky in this regard, since he has a gang and while he must protect them all"
"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."
"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."
"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?"

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).

Inflected Forms

alpha males (plural) more alpha male (comparative) most alpha male (superlative)

Phrases

alpha pair

Frequently Paired Words

alpha female beta male gamma male delta male sigma male omega male alpha pair omegaverse

Synonyms

alpha male alpha

Antonyms

omega male

Questions

What does alpha male mean?: The dominant male in a group of animals.
Where does alpha male come from?: 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).

How to pronounce alpha male

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