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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Sherri Gordon, Health, 26 May 2025
Tasters kept coming back to it for its delicate balance of light and buoyant tang with creamy and decadent texture.
—Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 24 May 2025
Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 24 Apr. 2025
Black denim adds a goth feeling to pieces, while deep indigo feels royal and decadent.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decadent
Adjective
The Bottom Line Picking a decadent dark chocolate that can also offer health benefits is totally doable.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 26 May 2025
Tasters kept coming back to it for its delicate balance of light and buoyant tang with creamy and decadent texture.
—Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 24 May 2025
Noun
The fashion was Dior, but the soul was unmistakably Viennese: powdered and perfumed, a little decadent, and entirely unforgettable.
—Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 24 Apr. 2025
Black denim adds a goth feeling to pieces, while deep indigo feels royal and decadent.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decadent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decadent
Adjective
-
In a guest role that’s been extremely well hidden in the months leading up to the premiere, Bradley Cooper turns heel as Elijah Gemstone, a degenerate con man who sees right through Abel Grieves’s lucrative scam before plugging him in the forehead.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
9 Mar. 2025
-
In theory, the walls of carbon nanotubes house a sea of degenerate electrons that have a similar density to metals.—
The Physics arXiv Blog,
Discover Magazine,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Entertainment Weekly has an exclusive first look at the film, which follows Ahmed's Ash, an off-the-grid fixer who brokers deals between whistleblowers and corrupt corporations through a message relay service that maintains anonymity.—
Jessica Wang,
EW.com,
5 June 2025
-
Sara’s friend from her secret agent days, Teresa, is also taking matters into her own hands after also losing a loved one to a corrupt system.—
Isabella Wandermurem,
Time,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
Their genre-blending sound laid the foundation for future music icons, influencing everyone from Jimi Hendrix (who once played guitar for them) to The Notorious B.I.G. But just as impactful as their sound was their style: bold, luxurious, and unapologetically Black.—
Karissa Mitchell,
Essence,
5 June 2025
-
These Egyptian cotton sheets are both durable and luxurious.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
4 June 2025
Noun
-
Special-guest pervert Frank (Sam Rockwell) showcases a monologue about his autogynephilia.—
Armond White,
National Review,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Just when things are looking up — a haughty British couple leaves this daughter of Oxfordshire a handsome tip — the dinner pervert turns up for his morning coffee.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
23 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Her Daphne was a realist, a hedonist and, like Fahy, a great hang.—
Alexis Soloski,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
-
The Weeknd discography plays like one big party with noxious vibes, thrown by a hedonist less interested in a good time than numbing the torment of an existence comprising coke-and-sizzurp binges, emotionless supermodel threeways, and morning-afters of bleak reflection.—
Charles Bramesco,
IndieWire,
15 May 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
Each thing serves as the cartoonishly exaggerated marker of an identity: berserker populist patriot, effete rich man, savvy dealmaker.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Back staining happens when indigo dye that is released from degraded cellulose during these processes redeposits on the white portions of the garment.—
Andrea Onate,
Footwear News,
28 May 2025
-
Maltz served as the lead author on a meta-analysis of how soil inoculation with different species of mycorrhizal fungi can affect degraded ecosystems.—
Lauren Oster,
Smithsonian Magazine,
12 May 2025
Adjective
-
The skirt flared softly at the hem, offering movement and bit of drama, a silhouette that felt sensual without trying too hard.—
Karissa Mitchell,
Essence,
30 May 2025
-
As a reminder, here's how Scorsese and the three-time Oscar winner worked together to make romantic sublimation and repressed emotions weirdly sensual.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decadent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decadent. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share