Wounded masculinity is not a defined psychological term but rather simply a concept or phrase to express how many men feel about themselves as men.
The wounded masculinity can be best defined by the gap between how men feel about themselves as men and what they believe it means to be a man. This gap often creates pain in men as many times they feel internally that they are lacking at some level in their sense of masculinity. They often try to cope with this sense of lacking by rejecting masculinity out right (i.e. ‘masculinity is just an old archaic idea which is meaningless’) or by investing a life trying to prove to others (and themselves) that they are ‘real’ men. The wounded masculinity can negatively impact a man’s choices and his relationships.
Here is the basic framework of how the wounded masculine may unfold in men.