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
Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
From savory chili to a decadent tiramisu, here are 7 ways to make the most of Autumn’s best flavor.
—The Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 19 Oct. 2025
Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 11 Aug. 2025
For dessert, the most decadent is chocolate dumplings with raspberry caramel and sea salt countering the sweetness.
—Constance Ogle, Miami Herald, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decadent
Adjective
The Peppermint Brownie Bark Shake offers customers a decadent blend of creamy vanilla soft serve with chocolate chunk brownie pieces and a sprinkle of cool, crushed peppermints.
—Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
From savory chili to a decadent tiramisu, here are 7 ways to make the most of Autumn’s best flavor.
—The Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 19 Oct. 2025
Noun
My vision was to create a grab-and-go option that’s a little bit decadent without being a total sugar bomb.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 11 Aug. 2025
For dessert, the most decadent is chocolate dumplings with raspberry caramel and sea salt countering the sweetness.
—Constance Ogle, Miami Herald, 1 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decadent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decadent
Adjective
-
In the quiet of the Sabbath morning when all the neighborhood was wrapped in slumber, some dastardly degenerate crept into the room, choked her to death, assaulted her criminally and left her bruised and bleeding body lying on the bed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Like people, joints naturally degenerate over time, and arthritis is particularly common in older pets.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Lester fled, but Beau followed him, demanding the missing finger because without it, his corrupt past could come to light.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Congress was moved to act at the urging of the major pro leagues’ commissioners, who testified in 1991 that sports betting undermined the integrity of games and invited corrupt influences.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Both favor a quietly luxurious wardrobe heavy on tasteful neutrals and cocoon-like outerwear.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Over time, his content became more professional and his trips more luxurious.—
Gabrielle Rockson,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The Gooneral’s attendees didn’t care that Malone was, from all available evidence, not a gooner at all but rather an unaffiliated, lone-wolf pervert.—
Daniel Kolitz,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Boiled down to a thoughtless pervert by the public, Six became one.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
21 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Guests in attendance for this lavish soirée include George’s fellow intellectuals, a large number of dapper hedonists, the handsome horndog Judge Roland Brack (Nicholas Pinnock) — whose wolf-whistle come-ons are neither fully rebuffed nor reciprocated by Hedda — and Thea (Imogen Poots, wasted).—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Medieval guild houses and sleek glass façades share space—stitched together by whirring trams—as Bahnhofstrasse, the city’s famed luxury shopping boulevard, draws crowds of hedonists with its parade of designer boutiques.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
Cutaways to bits involving sad-sack local cop Maccarico (Marco Bonadei) interviewing kooky characters like an effete server (Milutin Dapcevic) at Taco King and Oreste getting a dressing down from his ex-wife, Arabella’s Mother (Margareth Made), just feel like mildly amusing filler.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Advertisement Restoring degraded land offers similar payoffs.—
Kaveh Zahedi,
Time,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Previous studies relied on a process known as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which amplifies small or degraded fragments of DNA, allowing scientists to analyze genetic material even from old or damaged organic matter.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Taylor opted to go sans top beneath the jacket, heightening the commanding sensual style.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
31 Oct. 2025
-
The trumpets lend a romantic, even sensual touch to this anthem of desperate love, complemented by the vocals of Ricardo Yocupicio and Geovanni Mondragón and the rest of the instrumentation, which includes the essential tuba, clarinets, and horns.—
Luisa Calle,
Billboard,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decadent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decadent. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share