1
as in degenerate
having lost forcefulness, courage, or spirit
social critics claimed that their culture had become decadent and weak
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in corrupt
having or showing lowered moral character or standards
opponents of gambling casinos claim that gambling is a decadent form of entertainment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in luxurious
given to or marked by excessive gratification of one's desires
the impressionable heiress couldn't resist the decadent temptations of the jet-set life
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in pervert
a person who has sunk below the normal moral standard
avant-garde artists who were scorned by the bourgeoisie as talentless decadents
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2
as in hedonist
a person whose life is devoted to luxury and sensual pleasures
a decadent who squandered her once considerable family fortune
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of decadent
Tanya Edwards,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
16 June 2026
While flake salt is best used to add texture in the finishing stage of a dish, such as a sprinkle of salt over these decadent chocolate bites, kosher salt can be used in a variety of applications in everyday cooking.
—
Heather Riske,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 June 2026
Deputy Managing Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
But decadents only break taboos in a bloodless, symbolic way—they’re too lazy and refined for murder.
—
Olivia Kan-Sperling,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for decadent
Adjective
Opt for dishes like the umami-rich roasted oysters accented with Grana Padano and crispy rashers, and don’t even think about skipping the decadent dulce de leche ice cream covered in warm Valrhona chocolate.
—
Tanya Edwards,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
16 June 2026
While flake salt is best used to add texture in the finishing stage of a dish, such as a sprinkle of salt over these decadent chocolate bites, kosher salt can be used in a variety of applications in everyday cooking.
—
Heather Riske,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 June 2026
Noun
But often, the destruction comes with a message: This decadent, over-tolerant city fueled its own demise.
—
Deputy Managing Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
But decadents only break taboos in a bloodless, symbolic way—they’re too lazy and refined for murder.
—
Olivia Kan-Sperling,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for decadent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decadent
Adjective
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After delivery, the umbilical arteries constrict and degenerate.
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As her life begins overlapping with the events of the film, she’s confronted with her own degenerate desires, as the Nazis would call them.
Adjective
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Johnson County He was arrested last August on charges of abuse of office and corrupt influence.
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The kidnappings have been linked to run-ins with drug cartels and corrupt government officials, while there have also been cases involving young women who worked at the country’s many factories.
Adjective
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Performance factors purposefully into the mix using soft, durable outdoor marine fabrics from Loro Piana, luxurious marine-grade leathers from Moore & Giles, sculptural plumbing fixtures from Dornbracht, and architectural hardware from Joseph Giles.
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Built on a hillside overlooking Vila Nova de Gaia (where most of the old-line port merchants are located) and the Douro River, the luxurious 82-room hotel gets its identity from the local wine trade.
Noun
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Nora Ephron for depressed perverts.
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You are being spied on by a pervert.
Noun
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And what fame gave me, what addiction fueled was opportunity for endless consent, which led me to be a hedonist and a fool and an exploiter of women.
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And what fame gave me and what my addiction fueled was opportunity for endless consent, which led me to be a hedonist and a fool and an exploiter of women.
Adjective
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Republicans have sought to cast him as an effete extremist.
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Scarf critics accuse the accessory—and by extension, its wearers—of being effete or affected.
Adjective
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Even when degraded, enzymes have stable backbones that might be capable of catalyzing reactions, said Sudha Rajamani, an astrobiologist at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune who wasn’t involved in the study.
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According to the company, QTT enables highly secure and resilient position, navigation, and timing (PNT) services, helping maintain accurate timing and synchronization even when traditional GPS and radio-frequency signals are unavailable, degraded, or intentionally jammed.
Adjective
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With Sonja Tyspin’s cinematography imbuing an innocent, sensual curiosity, Kiyoko sweetly conveys the awkward thrill of fledgling emotions.
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Life in Paris taught me to be less rigid and more sensual, and back home in Connecticut, my dad was changing, too.
Cite this Entry
“Decadent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decadent. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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