effete

adjective

ef·​fete i-ˈfēt 

e-

1

: no longer fertile

2

a

: having lost character, vitality, or strength

… the effete monarchies … of feudal Europe …

—G. M. Trevelyan

… macrophages that recycle used iron from effete red cells.

—Nancy C. Andrews

b

: marked by weakness or decadence

the effete upper class

c

: soft or delicate from or as if from a pampered existence

… peddled … trendy tweeds to effete Easterners …

—William Helmer

effete tenderfeet

also : characteristic of an effete person

And for centuries, the fork remained suspect in Europe, as the effete accessory of aristocrats …

—Ligaya Mishan

a wool scarf … a bit effete on an outdoorsman

—Nelson Bryant

3

: effeminate sense 1

… a good-humored, effete boy brought up by maiden aunts.

—Herman Wouk

effetely adverb

effeteness noun

Did you know?

Effete derives from Latin effetus, meaning "no longer fruitful," and for a brief time in English it was used to describe an animal no longer capable of producing offspring. For most of its existence in English, however, the use of "effete" has been entirely figurative. For many years, the usual figurative sense of the word was "exhausted" or "worn out," but today "effete" is more likely to suggest overrefinement, weakness of character, snobbery, and effeminacy. "Effete" first showed signs of acquiring these shades of meaning in the 1920s, but it wasn't until the 1940s that the new "effete" clearly established itself in reputable writing. One example can be found in John Steinbeck's 1945 novel Cannery Row: "now and then some effete customer would order a stinger or an anisette."

Synonyms of effete

• degenerate
• weak
• decadent
• decayed
• overripe
• degraded
• washed-up

Examples of effete in a Sentence

effete members of the aristocracy

the soft, effete society that marked the final years of the Roman empire

Recent Examples on the Web

What we’re left with is an effete description that exists for itself and doesn’t illuminate the character. —Hannah Gold, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2025

Cutaways to bits involving sad-sack local cop Maccarico (Marco Bonadei) interviewing kooky characters like an effete server (Milutin Dapcevic) at Taco King and Oreste getting a dressing down from his ex-wife, Arabella’s Mother (Margareth Made), just feel like mildly amusing filler. —Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025

And there’s an intriguing romance between Nancy and Hamish (James Musgrave), a slightly effete soldier whose lack of commitment, and indeed libido, suggests her taste in men might not be as sharp as her wit. —Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 17 June 2025

In this view, other European immigrants were unsuitable for civilizing the frontier—Southern Europeans were effete and decadent while Eastern European Jews were hapless in the woods and better-suited to urban, commercial spaces. —Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 5 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin effetus, from ex- + fetus fruitful — more at feminine

First Known Use

1660, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for effete

• amit
• athlete
• backseat
• blackfeet
• broadsheet
• browbeat
• buckwheat
• compete
• compleat
• complete
• conceit
• concrete

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Kids Definition

effete

adjective

ef·​fete e-ˈfēt 

i-

1

: no longer productive

2

a

: worn-out sense 2, exhausted

b

: having lost strength, courage, or spirit : decadent

effete snobs

effetely adverb

effeteness noun