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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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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Similarly, 5GHz signals were strong in the central areas but became weaker in the garage, the den, and the kitchen area.—
PCMAG,
PCMAG,
11 Mar. 2025
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Many offensive cyber firms set up shop in countries with weak regulations, providing hacking tools and services to buyers worldwide.—
Emil Sayegh,
Forbes,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Intersex people have chromosomes and/or reproductive organs that do not fit into a binary male or female classification, while two-spirit refers to members of Indigenous cultures who identify as having both a masculine and feminine spirit.—
Colleen English,
The Conversation,
13 Mar. 2025
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Heels may be a more elegant solution, but the taboo remains — despite the fact that many heeled styles seen as daring on men aren’t actually feminine at all, Semmelhack noted.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN,
13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The floral-meets-woody aroma is subtly decadent and also smells powerfully sophisticated.—
Alexis Bennett Parker,
Vogue,
18 Mar. 2025
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Intense floral aromas of roses and violets entwine with decadent chocolate.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes,
18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Francis' feeble voice, discernible through his labored breaths and in his native Spanish, was recorded Thursday from the hospital and broadcast to the faithful in St. Peter's Square who had gathered for the nightly recitation of the rosary prayer.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
7 Mar. 2025
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When experienced all at once, these features can further shake an emerging adult’s already feeble sense of stability.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes,
23 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Inspired by her search for soft and generously sized bath towels, Camille designed Body by Love to enhance our bathroom rituals.—
Essence,
Essence,
10 Mar. 2025
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Color choices include dun, icy blue, gray, Pacific blue, soft rose, and white.—
Terri Williams,
Forbes,
10 Mar. 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 24 Mar. 2025.
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