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
Relevance
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of effete
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
Jesus Christ’s preaching of love and kindness and forgiveness is seen as weak and effete.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 11 Mar. 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
Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 5 June 2025
Jesus Christ’s preaching of love and kindness and forgiveness is seen as weak and effete.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 11 Mar. 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 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
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Like people, joints naturally degenerate over time, and arthritis is particularly common in older pets.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The economy has withstood weak role creation precisely because the pool of applicants is shrinking.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
20 Oct. 2025
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The defensive line took advantage of a weak Auburn O-line, sacking Arnold five times.—
Maddie Hartley,
Kansas City Star,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Listeria infection can be especially dangerous for young children, elderly people and people with weakened immune systems.—
News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Soft platinum coils are delivered into the aneurysm under X-ray guidance to promote clotting and block blood flow into the weakened vessel.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
In Seychellois folklore, it was said to hold the feminine spirit of the earth, fertility embodied in botanical form.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
22 Oct. 2025
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The reemergence of traditional gender roles manifests in fashion through hyper masculine and hyper feminine ways of dressing.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Imagine crumbling a slice into a glass of frothed milk and espresso, or layering it with a scoop of ice cream for a decadent twist; the possibilities are endless.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Oct. 2025
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Adding a milk frother to your coffee accessories arsenal is the difference between a standard cup of coffee and something decadent.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The festival unfolds at a particularly tenuous time for the documentary field, which for the past several years has faced a feeble acquisition market.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
9 Oct. 2025
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Cupping was quite popular among feeble white women in North America, and those same marks, Daria knew, were present on her own body, concealed beneath her loose T-shirt.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Dress up your bedroom with a new seven-piece comforter set or sink into something super soft like the Bedsure fluffy comforter.—
Sheri Kaz,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 Oct. 2025
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Thousands of reviewers have highlighted how soft and cozy the pad feels.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Phil initially teases Peter for being weak and effeminate.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them.,
25 Sep. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Effete.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/effete. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
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