G. M. TrevelyanNancy C. AndrewsWilliam HelmerNelson Bryant Herman Wouk
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Effete derives from Latin effetus, meaning "no longer fruitful," and for a brief time in English it was used to describe an animal no longer capable of producing offspring. For most of its existence in English, however, the use of "effete" has been entirely figurative. For many years, the usual figurative sense of the word was "exhausted" or "worn out," but today "effete" is more likely to suggest overrefinement, weakness of character, snobbery, and effeminacy. "Effete" first showed signs of acquiring these shades of meaning in the 1920s, but it wasn't until the 1940s that the new "effete" clearly established itself in reputable writing. One example can be found in John Steinbeck's 1945 novel Cannery Row: "now and then some effete customer would order a stinger or an anisette."
Examples of effete in a Sentence
Ligaya Mishan Kyoko Hamada, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024
Michael Urie lends an elastic face and sing-songy intonations to Sir Robin, and Ethan Slater’s dexterous physical humor, as a French mime, an effete prince and a naked puppeteer, is always welcome.
—Naveen Kumar, Variety, 17 Nov. 2023
Perfetti gives him an effete contemporaneity, but the character needs new lines more than a new look.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2023
The once-nerdy kid has become a blue-collar first responder just like grandfather Martin, and has nothing in common with his snobbish, effete father.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2023
See all Example Sentences for effete 
Cite this Entry
“Effete.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/effete. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
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