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

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
  • When the discs degenerate, vertebrae lose the spongy buffer between bones, resulting in pain.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Or when some man behaving like a degenerate gambler plods into Chelsea Gray’s DMs with a disgusting slur.
    — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 27 July 2026
Definition of degenerate
Adjective
  • The Commerce Department released a report Friday showing weak retail sales in July.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Following his coach and uncle Toni’s advice, Nadal finally beat Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2008, breaking Federer’s Open-Era-record five-year winning streak on grass, by playing high balls to Federer’s back hand, his weak point.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of weak
Adjective
  • The bacteria can cause illnesses that could be fatal for children younger than 5, elderly people or people with weakened or compromised immune systems.
    — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026
  • However, Alt was limited to just six games after dealing with multiple ankle injuries, leaving the Chargers' offensive line in a weakened state.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of weakened
Adjective
  • The colors are widely understood to respectively represent masculine and feminine genders, which are usually assigned at birth, as well as persons who are agender (genderless or gender neutral), intersex, or in gender transition.
    — Brian Duignan, Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Instead, Brink and stylist Shiona Turini consistently blend masculine tailoring and feminine silhouettes to create looks worth emulating all autumn long.
    — Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of feminine
Adjective
  • The gooey burst of yolk welcomes all guests to a wonderfully delicious and decadent meal.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026
  • That includes lavish dinners with free-flowing booze, part of a decadent culture that Chinese leader Xi Jinping sees as a threat to the ruling Communist Party’s power and the country’s economic growth.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of decadent
Adjective
  • Instead of using a mirror to gather starlight, MOTHRA has many telephoto lenses, like those on a camera, which can capture faintly glowing wisps of gas and other feeble emanations across a wider field of view.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 12 Aug. 2026
  • By an act of war, committed with the participation of a diplomatic representative of the United States and without authority of Congress, the Government of a feeble but friendly and confiding people has been overthrown.
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of feeble
Adjective
  • On Friday, his only real trouble was in the fifth inning, when a soft single, a line drive and a bunt hit loaded the bases with one out.
    — Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 22 Aug. 2026
  • This finding, the authors said, suggested soft tissue was still holding the skeleton in place.
    — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 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

Browse Nearby Words

effervescing
effete
effeteness
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Effete.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/effete. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of devolve

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All