What it means
Manspreading is when a guy sits with his legs flung so wide on a bus or train that he eats into everyone else’s space too. It’s that big-knees energy where one person acts like the seat, the gap beside it, and half the carriage came free with his ticket. Usually said with a bit of mockery and a side-eye.
Usage examples
"I had to stand the whole way because some guy was manspreading across three seats."
"There are actual signs on the subway now asking people to stop manspreading."
"He plonked himself down and started manspreading like the whole train was his living room."
"Can you not manspread into my seat, mate? I’m hanging off the edge here."
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Where it comes from
It’s a blend of man and spreading. The word started showing up in the early 2010s and really caught on around 2013 to 2014 through online talk, transit campaigns, and news coverage about men taking up extra room on public transport. It sits in the same word-family vibe as mansplain.
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