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house husband

house husband

1 3.5
A man who looks after the home and family while his partner earns money
  • noun
  • /ˈhaʊs ˈhʌzbənd/
translation icon : esposo a cargo del hogar
  • I feel like I'm back in a headspace where I'm getting everything done as a good house husband should, and my wife has been more "aggressive" in having me work or fetch things for her while she relaxes.

And then my wife and I had a couple of kids, you know, and so I spent some years being the full time house husband.

Examples

  • After his wife returned to work, Tom became a house husband, ensuring everything was in order at home.

  • So man up, be the best house husband you can be and embrace that shit.

  • You know, I don't mind being a house husband.

  • Are you a house-husband or a politician?

  • I'm the "house husband"; -)

    Blog text (4)
  • How about your son-in-law here, I hear he's a house husband now.

  • What, are you still too busy bein' the pansy house-husband to read the newspapers?

  • Frederick was a dedicated house husband who took care of the children and managed the household chores.

  • Being a house husband allows John to spend quality time with his kids while his wife pursues her career.

Synonyms

housekeeper
vshouse husband
110 1.1

A person who manages household chores and keeps the home clean

is a married man who does the work as family, not as an employee
homemaker
vshouse husband
28 2.7

A person who manages a home and cares for their family

is a man doing the same full time role while his wife earns income
househusband
vshouse husband
1 4.1

A married man who stays at home to do housework and care for children while his wife earns money

is spelled with a space rather than as one word
houseworker
vshouse husband
2.5

A person who cleans, cooks, or does other work in a home

is a married man who runs the home unpaid while his wife earns

Antonyms

22 3.5

A person who earns most of the money for their family

How Domestic

stay-at-home
48 3.9
house husband
1 3.5
caregiver
  • US
79 3.2
helpmate
  • Archaic
3 7.0
spouse
272 1.0

Surface Forms

house husband singular

Morphology

house + husband

The meaning is directly and transparently derived from combining 'house' (relating to domestic/home duties) with 'husband' (a married man); a B1 learner who knows both words can readily infer a man who manages the household. The compound follows a common English and cross-linguistic pattern (cf. 'housewife' / equivalents), so the sense is predictable without prior exposure.

Etymology

House husband comes from joining house, meaning home, and husband, meaning a married man, and is formed like the older word housewife, giving the clear image of a man who stays at home to do the housework. So, it means 'a man who looks after the home while his wife works'.