effete

adjective

ef·fete i-ˈfēt

Synonyms of effete next

: no longer fertile

: 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

: marked by weakness or decadence

the effete East

: 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

a wool scarf … a bit effete on an outdoorsman —

Nelson Bryant

: 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."

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 Michael Urie lends an elastic face and sing-songy intonations to Sir Robin, and Ethan Slater’s dexterous physical humor, as a French mime, an effete prince and a naked puppeteer, is always welcome. —

Naveen Kumar, Variety, 17 Nov. 2023 Perfetti gives him an effete contemporaneity, but the character needs new lines more than a new look. —

Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2023 The once-nerdy kid has become a blue-collar first responder just like grandfather Martin, and has nothing in common with his snobbish, effete father. —

Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2023 Once again, there are the effete snobs and the salt-of-the-earth people who tolerate them. —

TIME, 9 Oct. 2023 Garden gazing balls by Sula Bermúdez-Silverman are grasped by the upright claws of an imperial eagle, the spheres filled with homey substances like hair gel and studded with effete fragments of colonial treasure — bits of coral or silver sugar tongs. —

Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2023 But with the advent of the Great Depression and World War II, his urbane, effete mannequins fell out of favor. —

Dan Avery, NBC News, 7 June 2023 As the effete mentor to Wayne in the film's first half, Neeson nicely toys with the audience without tipping his hand. —

Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 17 Feb. 2023 The director downplays the effete character’s flashy sense of showmanship (to a degree), instructing costume designer Mariestela Fernández not to overdo it with the sequins. —

Peter Debruge, Variety, 20 Jan. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'effete.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.