How to Use effeminate in a Sentence
- He had a high and somewhat effeminate voice.
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Her father, eager to change his effeminate child’s ways, would drag the child to boxing matches.
—Frances Robles, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2020
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Marr explained that one of his guitar heroes was T. Rex’s Marc Bolan who was more effeminate and wore makeup.
—Taylor Mims, Billboard, 18 May 2018
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The effeminate boy with an interest in fashion gets to design the costumes.
—Margaret Gray, latimes.com, 7 May 2018
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There were twenty students, the article said, mostly effeminate boys and butch girls who had trouble fitting in at their old schools.
—Masha Gessen, The New Yorker, 28 June 2019
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The two real throughlines to the show are lonely, somewhat cantankerous old stage hand Theodore and the effeminate costumer Brother Soiree.
—Trevor Fraser, OrlandoSentinel.com, 21 May 2017
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Malkovich played the role of Lee with a hilarious brand of violent, effeminate menace.
—Michael Heaton, cleveland.com, 10 Aug. 2017
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The eldest son, Kim Jong-nam, is said to have preferred partying to politics, while the second son, Kim Jong-chol, was considered too effeminate.
—Michael Holtz, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Aug. 2017
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The ’80s hipster bore no resemblance to the bearded and effeminate cottage industrialist who came to prominence as the ‘hipster’ in the new century.
—New York Times, 19 Aug. 2019
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Still, there were limits to the bounds of acceptability: Plucking armpit hair, say ancient sources, was fine, but plucking leg hair was considered too effeminate.
—Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 12 Dec. 2019
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But like Manning, Shupe had entered the Army as an effeminate young man who would be traumatized by homophobia and transphobia in the military.
—Mary Emily O'Hara, NBC News, 16 May 2017
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There are fewer languid, sleek, effeminate bodies and more muscle.
—Brian T. Allen, National Review, 19 Sep. 2020
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Gay men, historically, have been made fun of and ridiculed for effeminate behavior or affect.
—BostonGlobe.com, 20 June 2019
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In effect, Cole said, Stephens had been discriminated against as both a man and a woman: for being too effeminate for one category and too masculine for the other.
—Masha Gessen, The New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2019
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My parents viewed my reading as somewhat effeminate, but also subversive on some level.
—Amy Sutherland, BostonGlobe.com, 2 May 2018
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Hopkins' case resulted in a 6-3 victory in the Supreme Court and has been used to protect women, effeminate men and transgender people from discrimination.
—Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Oct. 2019
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Yet Zima, despite strong sales and nearly half of American alcohol drinkers having tried it, was met largely with ridicule: David Letterman, for instance, made a habit of parodying it as a drink for effeminate weirdos.
—Rebecca Jennings, Vox, 20 Aug. 2019
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Saturday Church is a musical coming-of-age film centered around 14-year-old Ulysses, a quiet, effeminate boy struggling with questions about his gender identity under the hawk-like eye of his conservative aunt.
—Patrick Crowley, Billboard, 11 Jan. 2018
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Kevin’s 23 distinct alters include the effeminate fashionista Barry; the creepy neat freak Dennis; the matronly den mother Patricia; and an inquisitive, hip-hop-loving 9-year-old with a lisp named Hedwig.
—Michael O'Sullivan, The Denver Post, 20 Jan. 2017
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But while almost all effeminate guys are gay—so stigmatized is femininity in males (even in the gay community)—masculine swagger in women is less stigmatized and therefore somewhat less likely to correlate as strongly with lesbianism.
—Dan Savage, Chicago Reader, 20 Dec. 2017
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Rory Scovel, as Renee's slightly effeminate boyfriend, is appealing, but his underwritten role gives him little to do other than bask in Renee's newfound fearlessness.
—Leah Pickett, Chicago Reader, 20 Apr. 2018
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Another baddie, Fisheye, was an effeminate gay man who played with gender presentation.
—Gabe Bergado, Teen Vogue, 30 June 2017
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Performing slightly effeminate blundering outrage — not playing gay, exactly, but not not gay either — Lynde set a pattern.
—James Hibberd, EW.com, 19 May 2020
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Later, the broadcasting regulator banned the depiction of gay characters or effeminate men on television.
—Jeffrey Hutton, New York Times, 20 Dec. 2017
- He had a high and somewhat effeminate voice.
-
Her father, eager to change his effeminate child’s ways, would drag the child to boxing matches.
—Frances Robles, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2020
-
Marr explained that one of his guitar heroes was T. Rex’s Marc Bolan who was more effeminate and wore makeup.
—Taylor Mims, Billboard, 18 May 2018
-
The effeminate boy with an interest in fashion gets to design the costumes.
—Margaret Gray, latimes.com, 7 May 2018
-
There were twenty students, the article said, mostly effeminate boys and butch girls who had trouble fitting in at their old schools.
—Masha Gessen, The New Yorker, 28 June 2019
-
The two real throughlines to the show are lonely, somewhat cantankerous old stage hand Theodore and the effeminate costumer Brother Soiree.
—Trevor Fraser, OrlandoSentinel.com, 21 May 2017
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His father mocked his effeminate manner and beat him, and Richard fled home as a teen.
—Thor Christensen, Dallas News, 9 May 2020
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As the story unfolds, Phil’s disdain for Rose and her effeminate son drive Rose to drink.
—Marc Malkin, Variety, 13 Nov. 2021
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Why is Phil so cruel to the effeminate, slender young man?
—Kyle Smith, National Review, 7 Oct. 2021
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Archie is not pleased when son-in-law Michael and daughter Gloria invite their effeminate — but, as Michael says, not gay — friend for lunch.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 23 June 2022
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What’s scary, really, is the idea in the ether that compassion is effeminate and thereby un-American.
—Diana Spechler, Harper's BAZAAR, 3 Jan. 2018
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Romans used jokes and laughter to mock the physically deformed and the effeminate, among others.
—Lorraine Boissoneault, Smithsonian, 24 Apr. 2017
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Some of the reasons include stigma, shame and being perceived as effeminate.
—Sean Loughran, Washington Post, 27 May 2022
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Bernard swaps stereotyping digs with Robin de Jesús’s (excellent) Emory, the most flamboyantly effeminate of the lot.
—Ben Brantley, New York Times, 31 May 2018
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The film follows a young man named Oskar who is frequently bullied for being effeminate.
—Kyle Turner, Teen Vogue, 31 Oct. 2017
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To his father’s consternation, everything from Eddy’s manner of speaking, to his gait, to his tastes are effeminate in the eyes of the townspeople.
—Samuel Metz, New Republic, 8 June 2017
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The painting shows Zapata straddling a horse while striking what some have described as an effeminate pose.
—Fox News, 12 Dec. 2019
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Experts have said that Asian men, in particular, must deal with emasculation, or being cast as effeminate and weak.
—NBC News, 4 Feb. 2022
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In film, Asian men are often depicted as effeminate or asexual, furthering the stereotype that is assumed by users on dating apps.
—Brianna Holt, Quartz, 7 Nov. 2019
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And, in a significant departure from the preceding century, men stopped wearing high heels, which were now seen as effeminate.
—Brigit Katz, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Aug. 2022
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In reality, there's nothing effeminate about men protecting themselves and their family from a deadly virus.
—Joel Shannon, USA TODAY, 7 Oct. 2020
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In their collective eye, the word environmentalist suggests an effeminate, sentimental tree-hugger who is probably also a gun-control zealot.
—Philip Caputo, Field & Stream, 22 Nov. 2020
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Yet Grindr's disappearance in China may be also linked to Beijing's ongoing push to encourage 'traditional' family values and discourage 'effeminate' and 'sissy' men as the country grapples with a demographic crisis.
—Yvonne Lau, Fortune, 2 Feb. 2022
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His father mocked his effeminate manner and beat him, and Richard fled home as a teen.
—Thor Christensen, Dallas News, 9 May 2020
-
As the story unfolds, Phil’s disdain for Rose and her effeminate son drive Rose to drink.
—Marc Malkin, Variety, 13 Nov. 2021
-
Why is Phil so cruel to the effeminate, slender young man?
—Kyle Smith, National Review, 7 Oct. 2021
-
Archie is not pleased when son-in-law Michael and daughter Gloria invite their effeminate — but, as Michael says, not gay — friend for lunch.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 23 June 2022
-
What’s scary, really, is the idea in the ether that compassion is effeminate and thereby un-American.
—Diana Spechler, Harper's BAZAAR, 3 Jan. 2018
-
Romans used jokes and laughter to mock the physically deformed and the effeminate, among others.
—Lorraine Boissoneault, Smithsonian, 24 Apr. 2017
-
Some of the reasons include stigma, shame and being perceived as effeminate.
—Sean Loughran, Washington Post, 27 May 2022
-
Bernard swaps stereotyping digs with Robin de Jesús’s (excellent) Emory, the most flamboyantly effeminate of the lot.
—Ben Brantley, New York Times, 31 May 2018
-
The film follows a young man named Oskar who is frequently bullied for being effeminate.
—Kyle Turner, Teen Vogue, 31 Oct. 2017
-
To his father’s consternation, everything from Eddy’s manner of speaking, to his gait, to his tastes are effeminate in the eyes of the townspeople.
—Samuel Metz, New Republic, 8 June 2017
-
The painting shows Zapata straddling a horse while striking what some have described as an effeminate pose.
—Fox News, 12 Dec. 2019
-
Experts have said that Asian men, in particular, must deal with emasculation, or being cast as effeminate and weak.
—NBC News, 4 Feb. 2022
-
In film, Asian men are often depicted as effeminate or asexual, furthering the stereotype that is assumed by users on dating apps.
—Brianna Holt, Quartz, 7 Nov. 2019
Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'effeminate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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