effete

adjective

i-ˈfēt How to pronounce effete (audio)
Definition of effetenext
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

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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

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 effete And there’s an intriguing romance between Nancy and Hamish (James Musgrave), a slightly effete soldier whose lack of commitment, and indeed libido, suggests her taste in men might not be as sharp as her wit. — Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 17 June 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for effete
Recent Examples of Synonyms for effete
  1. degenerate
  2. weak
  3. weakened
  4. feminine
  5. decadent
  6. feeble
  7. soft
  8. effeminate
Adjective
  • Populist theatrics, divorced from the prosaic work of consensus-building and problem-solving, degenerate into political escapism.
    — Will Marshall, Washington Post, 18 July 2026
  • Besides being the degenerate son of Priscilla Presley, and asking the public to fund this pipe dream, there's so much else to parse.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 July 2026
Definition of degenerate
Adjective
  • Even durable bouclé material won’t save a sofa built on a weak foundation.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026
  • Further, the hinge mechanism provides a bit more assistance, and the magnets are a bit weaker, reducing the force needed to open the phone by half.
    — Eric Zeman, PC Magazine, 22 July 2026
Definition of weak
Adjective
  • The condition occurs due to a slow breakdown of the cells in the aorta, which has likely been going on silently for many years before the weakened area of the aortic wall finally gives away and tears.
    — Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 13 July 2026
  • Serratia marcescens can occasionally cause infections in people with weakened immune systems or those who are hospitalized.
    — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 9 July 2026
Definition of weakened
Adjective
  • Once worn by Sharon Stone on the runway, the suit look got an edgy and feminine twist thanks to the patent leather thigh-high boots, which featured a sharp pointed toe and stiletto heel in addition to slight crinkling throughout the shaft.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 20 July 2026
  • And Helen Jon is a resortwear label that offers flattering, feminine suits with real structure and bright hues.
    — Amanda Eyre Ward, Travel + Leisure, 20 July 2026
Definition of feminine
Adjective
  • Interest—from both visitors and islanders—is gently shifting away from polishing playboy yachts or appeasing the decadent whims of retirees, to something, well, more real.
    — Jonnie Bayfield, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 July 2026
  • This spring, the carrier introduced its first-ever international business class, complete with lie‑flat suites and decadent in-flight sundaes from Salt & Straw.
    — Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 17 July 2026
Definition of decadent
Adjective
  • Lei's team propose that this glitch either strengthened or reoriented, or both, the magnetic field of the Blue Eye Pulsar sufficiently to trigger radio emissions, or at least make feeble radio waves that were already there detectable.
    — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 6 July 2026
  • Gin up such a feeble procedural explanation for the sudden reversal that the entire sporting globe becomes incensed over the garbage-y scent of an inside job.
    — Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026
Definition of feeble
Adjective
  • Smaller nonprofit efforts — often faith-based — can also offer a soft landing place, but few exist.
    — Amber Gaudet July 18, Charlotte Observer, 18 July 2026
  • Most accounts read Qatar's rise as gas turned into money, turned into visibility, a soft-power story with expensive props.
    — Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
Definition of soft
Adjective
  • The term kothi applies to a broad category of people assigned male at birth who are effeminate to varying degrees and might engage in same-sex relationships, but do not live in separate communities.
    — Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026
  • One of the earliest of American masculinity influencers was President Theodore Roosevelt, who touted his own transformation from a timid, effeminate man – local presses mocked him in his early career – to a rugged outdoorsman.
    — Miriam Eve Mora, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2026
Definition of effeminate

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effervescing
effete
effeteness
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“Effete.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/effete. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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