as in femaleness
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Recent Examples of effeminacy
The researchers theorized this could be in part because of greater stigma toward effeminacy in boys than masculinity in girls.
—
Benjamin Ryan, NBC News, 4 Oct. 2023
Other historians point to the color being linked to effeminacy.
—Aj Willingham, CNN, 25 June 2023
In popular and political culture, Malcolm and Martin represented not just separation and integration but hate and love, particularism and universalism, resentment and reconciliation, North and South, the street and the church, and, to King’s particular frustration, masculinity and effeminacy.
—Brandon M. Terry, The New York Review of Books, 11 Mar. 2021
Lace, too, was a marker not of effeminacy but of affluence and taste.
—Piczo, The New Yorker, 20 Sep. 2021
Brooks hated them all—not least because of the relentless bullying inflicted on him by teammates on account of his effeminacy and sensitivity.
—Garth Greenwell, The New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2021
As the nation seeks to make children tougher and young boys more masculine, gaming companies must avoid effeminacy and strictly regulate celebrity endorsement.
—Yue Wang, Forbes, 9 Sep. 2021
In both cases, the disapproval has always betrayed fears of effeminacy.
—Washington Post, 7 June 2019
His taste (in clothes, in food, in decor) marks him as a modern-day dandy, though his imposing frame complicates the stereotypes of effeminacy that many have come to associate with such a label.
—Manuel Betancourt, The Atlantic, 11 June 2017
Benjamin Ryan, NBC News, 4 Oct. 2023
Other historians point to the color being linked to effeminacy.
—Aj Willingham, CNN, 25 June 2023
In popular and political culture, Malcolm and Martin represented not just separation and integration but hate and love, particularism and universalism, resentment and reconciliation, North and South, the street and the church, and, to King’s particular frustration, masculinity and effeminacy.
—Brandon M. Terry, The New York Review of Books, 11 Mar. 2021
Lace, too, was a marker not of effeminacy but of affluence and taste.
—Piczo, The New Yorker, 20 Sep. 2021
Brooks hated them all—not least because of the relentless bullying inflicted on him by teammates on account of his effeminacy and sensitivity.
—Garth Greenwell, The New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2021
As the nation seeks to make children tougher and young boys more masculine, gaming companies must avoid effeminacy and strictly regulate celebrity endorsement.
—Yue Wang, Forbes, 9 Sep. 2021
In both cases, the disapproval has always betrayed fears of effeminacy.
—Washington Post, 7 June 2019
His taste (in clothes, in food, in decor) marks him as a modern-day dandy, though his imposing frame complicates the stereotypes of effeminacy that many have come to associate with such a label.
—Manuel Betancourt, The Atlantic, 11 June 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for effeminacy
femininity
Noun
-
Masculinity and femininity, the past and the future, softness and sharpness — all collided in a way that felt deeply human.—
Jeetendr Sehdev,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
-
In an Alex Warren video, that vision of femininity isn’t so threatening.—
Aja Romano,
Vox,
8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Effeminacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/effeminacy. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.
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