1
as in degenerate
having lost forcefulness, courage, or spirit
the soft, effete society that marked the final years of the Roman empire
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in weak
lacking bodily strength
the outdoor adventure program takes effete youths and turns them into hardy campers
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of effete
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
Once again, there are the effete snobs and the salt-of-the-earth people who tolerate them.
—TIME, 9 Oct. 2023
Garden gazing balls by Sula Bermúdez-Silverman are grasped by the upright claws of an imperial eagle, the spheres filled with homey substances like hair gel and studded with effete fragments of colonial treasure — bits of coral or silver sugar tongs.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for effete
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
Once again, there are the effete snobs and the salt-of-the-earth people who tolerate them.
—TIME, 9 Oct. 2023
Garden gazing balls by Sula Bermúdez-Silverman are grasped by the upright claws of an imperial eagle, the spheres filled with homey substances like hair gel and studded with effete fragments of colonial treasure — bits of coral or silver sugar tongs.
—Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2023
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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In contrast, the founders of the United States, fearful of tyranny, created a weak federal government that could barely impose taxes, let alone establish a national theater.—
Joanna Dee Das,
The Conversation,
4 Apr. 2025
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However, a weaker dollar, resulting from tariffs and other policies, makes that harder for exporters.—
Brendan Coffey,
Sportico.com,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This feminine form of Gerald is old-fashioned, but chic.—
Lydia Wang,
Parents,
8 Apr. 2025
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Elements usually thought of as feminine and masculine interchange.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This decadent classic cake has a secret pantry ingredient that helps make this layered delight extra moist.—
Nellah Bailey McGough,
Southern Living,
1 Apr. 2025
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This Chocolate Dutch Baby is very simple to make but feels luxurious and decadent.—
Olivia Quintana,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Maresca’s post-match insistence that the Frenchman’s struggles are not down to a lack of effort felt as feeble and unconvincing as the sum of his contribution over 45 listless first-half minutes.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
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Back in Washington, some Democratic lawmakers are privately grumbling over what many in their base view as the Democratic leadership’s feeble response to Trump’s agenda.—
Alexander Bolton,
The Hill,
18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Rande, 62, matched his wife's and daughter's soft elegance by wearing a classic black tux with a white collared shirt and back tie.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
People.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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For starters, the bath products are thicker, softer, non-slip, and have drainage holes.—
Lauren Thomann,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 Apr. 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 14 Apr. 2025.
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