as in feminine
of or relating to a man who has or displays qualities traditionally considered more suitable for women
he had a high and somewhat effeminate voice
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Recent Examples of effeminate
So in a move that no one had approved, Wayans put on an effeminate voice for the character in hopes Executive Producer Lorne Michaels would be angry.
—
Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
In both sketches, Keaton plays an effeminate man who doesn’t quite understand the assignment.
—Rosa Escandon, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024
She’d been bullied by kids in grade school and subjected to physical harm for being a boy who was, in their judgment, too effeminate.
—Jon Freeman, Rolling Stone, 8 Dec. 2022
American culture was brilliantly exposed — and neutered — through an effeminate homosexual artist’s application of drag.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2022
See All Example Sentences for effeminate
Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025
In both sketches, Keaton plays an effeminate man who doesn’t quite understand the assignment.
—Rosa Escandon, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024
She’d been bullied by kids in grade school and subjected to physical harm for being a boy who was, in their judgment, too effeminate.
—Jon Freeman, Rolling Stone, 8 Dec. 2022
American culture was brilliantly exposed — and neutered — through an effeminate homosexual artist’s application of drag.
—Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2022
See All Example Sentences for effeminate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for effeminate
Adjective
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Such divisions shaped the critical reception of her work, with feminine and delicate being recurring adjectives.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
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To be born male and live as feminine is understood, in certain Hindu frameworks, as embodying that same threshold.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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Why beef culture and agriculture matter in Texas Some of Talarico's critics seemed to be ripping on his manhood, referencing his support for the LGBTQ+ community, along with the purportedly unmanly notion of having, at one time, eschewed meat.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
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Clever rather than athletic; also unmanly.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Effeminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/effeminate. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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