What is a manther? Meaning explained

YOU’VE probably heard the term cougar to describe an older woman pursuing a younger man, but have you heard of a manther?

Blending “man” and “panther”, the term has been attributed to the likes of Prince Charles and Bruce Willis. Here’s what it means.

What is a manther?

A manther is the male counterpart to a cougar, describing an older man who pursues significantly younger partners.

The origins of the phrase are unclear, but it is suggested the term originates from online slang site Urban Dictionary.

The phrase was added to Dictionary.com’s list of slang terms in 2020 alongside Karen, Megxit and Baby Yoda.

Famous men who have been classed as manthers include Prince Charles, whose late wife, Princess Diana, was 13 years his junior.

Other manthers include Bruce Willis, Jerry Seinfeld, Alec Baldwin, Clint Eastwood, and Nelson Mandela who married Graça Machel on his 80th birthday when she was 53.

When is a man called a manther?

There are many definitions of a manther and what characteristics they display.

The first mention of a manther on Urban Dictionary, from 2004, describes them as “single, usually divorced, and at a minimum 10 years older than a cougar”.

There’s no defined minimum age to class a man as a manther, but many say the age range starts from 40 years old.

This is the same as a cougar, that is widely defined as a woman, who is usually 40 years-of-age. A puma is used to describe a woman in her thirties who pursues younger partners.

Described on Urban Dictionary as the Feline Scale, a jaguar describes a woman in her fifties, following by a panther between the ages of 60 and 68, and a pussycat at 69.

A cheetah is used to describe a woman in her seventies, followed by a leopard, a tiger, and then lion used as a term to describe women over 100 years old.

A man under the pseudonym Sebastian Agassi, told standard.co.uk it is fun being a manther.

He said: “Young girls are lively, firm and uncomplicated. They are exhilarating, inconsequential company; vital, forward-thinking and emotionally gutsy.”

Agassi continued to say the widely accepted formula that dictates how ‘young a manther can go’ is to divide the man’s age by two and then add ten years.

He also says dating friends’ daughters is off limits, as is dating your daughter’s friends.