metrosexual meaning (dated): definition, etymology and quotations

metrosexual

noun

/ˌmɛtɹəˈsɛkʃuəl/

Etymology Blend of metropolitan + heterosexual, equivalent to metro- + -sexual. Coined by British writer Mark Simpson in 1994, it enjoyed a brief popularity in the early 2000s.

Dated A man — typically urban, heterosexual, and affluent — who is concerned with personal appearance, such as personal grooming, fashion, and aesthetics in general.

Reports of the "death" of my Frankenstein's monster with perfect skin, the metrosexual, have been greatly exaggerated. In Europe and the UK at least, it seems he's alive and looking very well in his lovely new eyeliner.2006 September 18, Mark Simpson, “Long live the metrosexual”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

Dated A heterosexual man who is seen, sociologically, as having attributes common to homosexuals.

Synonyms: boulevardier, dandy (19th Century), fop (19th Century), dude, dood, man about town, masher, dandy, sensualist

metrosexual

adj

Etymology Blend of metropolitan + heterosexual, equivalent to metro- + -sexual. Coined by British writer Mark Simpson in 1994, it enjoyed a brief popularity in the early 2000s.

Dated Of or relating to a metrosexual or the metrosexual lifestyle.

But one question stuck out beyond all the others. What on earth would a metrosexual, black Abe Lincoln look like?2012 May 17, David A. Graham, “Picture of the Day: The Metrosexual, Black Abe Lincoln”, in The Atlantic:
Of course Chandler was the romantic lead. His was the spirit of the age: self-deprecating, metrosexual, all ironic distance, no ambition.2023 October 29, Zoe Williams, “‘An ironic, self-deprecating metrosexual’: how Matthew Perry captured the spirit of the age”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

Derived terms: metrosexualism, metrosexuality, metrosexualization, metrosexualize, metrosexually, retrosexual, spornosexual
Related terms: ambisexual, gender-bender, unisex, machosexual

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.