1
as in degenerate
having lost forcefulness, courage, or spirit
the soft, effete society that marked the final years of the Roman empire
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in weak
lacking bodily strength
the outdoor adventure program takes effete youths and turns them into hardy campers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in weakened
lacking strength of will or character
the governor is too effete to take on the powerful special interests that really run this state
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in feminine
of or relating to a man who has or displays qualities traditionally considered more suitable for women
wore a slightly more effete style of clothing in those days
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of effete
This is bad enough, but then there’s the wide gulf of sensibility that separates Rock and Martin; the latter’s effete irony just doesn’t gel with Rock’s political trenchancy.
—
Bill Wyman, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2025
The Portnoy in the pizza videos often has a preening, fussy, almost effete quality that complicates his butch self-image.
—Willy Staley, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025
This is bad enough, but then there’s the wide gulf of sensibility that separates Rock and Martin; the latter’s effete irony just doesn’t gel with Rock’s political trenchancy.
—Bill Wyman, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2025
The Portnoy in the pizza videos often has a preening, fussy, almost effete quality that complicates his butch self-image.
—Willy Staley, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for effete
Bill Wyman, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2025
The Portnoy in the pizza videos often has a preening, fussy, almost effete quality that complicates his butch self-image.
—Willy Staley, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025
This is bad enough, but then there’s the wide gulf of sensibility that separates Rock and Martin; the latter’s effete irony just doesn’t gel with Rock’s political trenchancy.
—Bill Wyman, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2025
The Portnoy in the pizza videos often has a preening, fussy, almost effete quality that complicates his butch self-image.
—Willy Staley, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for effete
Recent Examples of Synonyms for effete
Adjective
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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
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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
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And while the unemployment rate remains low, hiring has been weak, leaving those without jobs struggling to find new work.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
27 June 2025
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The inference here is that women’s speech is coded as weak and men’s, the direct opposite.—
Megan C. Reynolds,
Time,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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Floral and lace prints, often in transparent fabrics, revealed boning and hoop skirt structures, and mutton sleeves added to the feminine innocence that prevailed.—
Roxanne Robinson,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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Contrast feminine elements, like a lacy slip dress and embroidered ballerinas, with an oversized boyish button-up for a well-balanced look.—
Christina Holevas,
Vogue,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
Mahler, a staff writer at the New York Times Magazine, takes on the end of a decadent era with an eye to analyzing the conditions that laid the groundwork for 45’s rise.—
Literary Hub
July 1,
Literary Hub,
1 July 2025
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The cold foam put a decadent spin on the subtly tangy sip.—
Erin Clements,
People.com,
30 June 2025
Adjective
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Leon Goretzka intercepted a feeble Pulgar clearance about 25 yards from goal and rather than close out to him, three Flamengo players decided to block off the corner of the net to the left of goalkeeper Agustin Rossi.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
29 June 2025
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First appearing in Street Fighter Alpha in 1995, Hibiki is consistently portrayed as an overconfident, arrogant and utterly feeble character.—
Justin Kroll,
Deadline,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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Scroll to shop the best bond-building products for every texture—stronger and softer hair ahead!—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
26 June 2025
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Pottery Barn Airy Cotton Duvet Cover Crafted from 100 percent cotton, this 200-thread count duvet cover is breathable, low-maintenance, soft, and suitable for year-round use.—
Maggie Horton,
People.com,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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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
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In both sketches, Keaton plays an effeminate man who doesn’t quite understand the assignment.—
Rosa Escandon,
Forbes,
20 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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In Benediction, Terence Davies had to split Siegfried Sassoon into two (Jack Lowden, Peter Capaldi) to create a comparably complex personality, but Scott’s Adam is all the more moving for being less refined, a performance of sustained fragility and unmanly truth.—
Armond White,
National Review,
29 Dec. 2023
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Why is his governess, Mrs. Brock, fired for encouraging Richard’s unmanly interest in poetry and music?—
Francine Prose,
The New York Review of Books,
22 Nov. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Effete.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/effete. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.
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