verb
manage
MAN-ihj
verb
1
To be in charge of running something, such as a business, team, or project.
"She manages a small team of designers."
"He's managed this restaurant for over a decade."
2
To succeed in doing something, especially something difficult.
"Somehow he managed to fix the leak before the plumber arrived."
"We managed to catch the last train home."
3
To handle or cope with a situation, resource, or problem.
"The nurse helped him manage his pain with a new medication schedule."
How to Use Manage
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo be in charge of something, or to succeed at doing something despite difficulty.
Common mistake
"Manage to" implies effort or difficulty — "I managed to finish" suggests it wasn't easy, unlike the neutral "I finished."
Common pairings
manage a team
manage to survive
manage your time
barely manage
Word Forms
managed past tense, manages singular
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Etymology
From Old French manege ("horse training, horsemanship"), from Italian maneggiare ("to handle"), ultimately from Latin manus, "hand." The oldest sense was literally about handling horses; "being in charge of" and "coping with" are later extensions.