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
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Recent Examples of decadent
Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 3 Mar. 2026
Mounted on decadent floral walls of rich textures, The Dean boasts Dublin’s largest collection of distinctive Irish art, showcasing more than 40 local talents, including Eoin Holland, Mark Francis, Richard Gorman, Patrick Scott, and Samuel Walsh.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Mar. 2026
Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 7 Jan. 2026
By Brittany Chang December 10, 2025 13 Most Romantic Hotels In New York City
From decadent stays on the Upper East Side to buzzy hangouts downtown, here's where the lovers go.
—Erika Owen, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for decadent
Adjective
Perhaps because the decadent dish symbolized wealth and sophistication.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 3 Mar. 2026
Mounted on decadent floral walls of rich textures, The Dean boasts Dublin’s largest collection of distinctive Irish art, showcasing more than 40 local talents, including Eoin Holland, Mark Francis, Richard Gorman, Patrick Scott, and Samuel Walsh.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Mar. 2026
Noun
Dubai Chocolate is a type of decadent chocolate that has recently gone viral.
—Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 7 Jan. 2026
By Brittany Chang December 10, 2025 13 Most Romantic Hotels In New York City
From decadent stays on the Upper East Side to buzzy hangouts downtown, here's where the lovers go.
—Erika Owen, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for decadent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decadent
Adjective
-
The latest film from Polish filmmaker Jan Komasa follows a 19-year-old degenerate raver from London who, in the last gasp of an all-time bender, is kidnapped by Stephen Graham and chained up in the basement of a posh estate.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Today, the urgent challenge before the royal family and many other institutions protected by mystique is whether the often degenerate select few in charge can still persuade the mass of people to remain beguiled and accept authority.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The Shah's regime was corrupt and dysfunctional.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Trump has granted clemency to all manner of criminals from violent January 6 rioters to corrupt politicians and fraudulent businessmen.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
From the belly came otoro, the richly marbled portion considered the most luxurious part of the fish.—
J.M. Banks
March 3,
Kansas City Star,
3 Mar. 2026
-
The everything shower is not a new phenomenon—people have indulged in long, luxurious showers since the inception of indoor plumbing.—
Elizabeth Gulino,
Allure,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Nora Ephron for depressed perverts.—
Antonia Blyth,
Deadline,
16 Feb. 2026
-
You are being spied on by a pervert.—
Jay Ruttenberg,
New Yorker,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Another cousin, the son of my industrialist uncle, has given up regattas and the hedonist’s life for a position in his father’s company that is, like all companies in Turkey, faltering under the tremendous burden of an economy in tailspin.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Maison Souquet Just across the street from the Moulin Rouge, the marvelously lavish Maison Souquet offers a sensual retreat that pays homage to the hideaway’s former reputation as a discreet brothel for wealthy hedonists.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Scarf critics accuse the accessory—and by extension, its wearers—of being effete or affected.—
Eric Twardzik,
Robb Report,
1 Dec. 2025
-
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
Adjective
-
Trouvelot cuts into this degraded crater, indicating that the neighboring basin formed first.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Preserving tissue improves cloning success rates — a lesson Anderson learned the hard way after degraded samples contributed to her four-year wait.—
Ryan Brennan
March 4,
Kansas City Star,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The show is set in 2018, closer to the Ashley Madison–fallout era, when the intersection of technology and societal fracture opens the gate for Clark to break out of suburban malaise and into a wonderland of sensual, albeit pedestrian, delights.—
Andy Andersen,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Home of powerhouses like Prada, Bottega Veneta, and Marni (just to name a few), the city has long set the tone for a distinctly Italian brand of glamour–sensual, sophisticated, and just a touch of daring.—
Amanda Le,
InStyle,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decadent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decadent. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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