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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hedonist
a person whose life is devoted to luxury and sensual pleasures
a decadent who squandered her once considerable family fortune
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of decadent
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
25 June 2026
Don’t leave without lingering in the Harry Waugh Dessert Room, where guests indulge in decadent cheeses, aged whiskeys, and house desserts.
—
Kelsey Glennon,
Southern Living,
24 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
The decadent new dessert features multiple layers of indulgent chocolate, brownie and toffee.
—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
25 June 2026
Don’t leave without lingering in the Harry Waugh Dessert Room, where guests indulge in decadent cheeses, aged whiskeys, and house desserts.
—
Kelsey Glennon,
Southern Living,
24 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
-
After delivery, the umbilical arteries constrict and degenerate.
-
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
-
In reality, leaders on both sides are corrupt and always on the edge of disaster.
-
My career actually focuses on bonding and preventing taxpayers from being on the hook for the failures of bankrupt and corrupt companies.
Adjective
-
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.
-
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
-
Nora Ephron for depressed perverts.
-
You are being spied on by a pervert.
Noun
-
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.
-
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
-
Republicans have sought to cast him as an effete extremist.
-
Scarf critics accuse the accessory—and by extension, its wearers—of being effete or affected.
Adjective
-
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.
-
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
-
Cutouts were a major motif for the dress, and were also featured at the hips for a symmetrical bent to the sensual design.
-
Warm and sensual, but with a somewhat fresh, floral drydown.
Cite this Entry
“Decadent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decadent. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
