1.
handsome man, good-looking man
A man with attractive features. As a noun, refers to a handsome man; as a na-adjective, describes someone as handsome.
彼はなかなかの男前だ。
He's quite handsome.
お父さんは若い頃、男前だったらしい。
Apparently, Dad was handsome when he was young.
男前な俳優がCMに出ると、その商品の売り上げが伸びるそうだ。
Apparently, when a handsome actor appears in a commercial, sales of that product increase.
2.
cool, admirable, gallant
Used more broadly (including for women) to describe someone whose behavior is impressively decisive, bold, or admirable. A relatively recent colloquial extension.
彼女のさっぱりした性格は男前だと言われる。
Her straightforward personality is often described as cool.
「ここは私がおごるよ」と言った彼女に、みんなが「男前！」と叫んだ。
When she said 'This one's on me,' everyone yelled 'What a boss!'
迷わず決断できるところが男前だなと思った。
I thought it was really cool how she could make decisions without hesitation.
USAGE:
Sense 1 is the traditional meaning, referring to a man's attractive appearance. Originally from the Kansai dialect but now used nationwide. Sense 2 is a newer colloquial usage where 男前 describes someone (regardless of gender) who acts in an admirably bold or decisive way.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 男前な顔 (handsome face)
- なかなかの男前 (quite handsome)
- 男前な性格 (cool/bold personality — sense 2)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- イケメン: good-looking guy (casual, modern slang)
- ハンサム: handsome (loanword, slightly dated)
- 格好いい: cool, good-looking (broader, can describe things and people)