1
as in degenerate
having lost forcefulness, courage, or spirit
social critics claimed that their culture had become decadent and weak
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in corrupt
having or showing lowered moral character or standards
opponents of gambling casinos claim that gambling is a decadent form of entertainment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in luxurious
given to or marked by excessive gratification of one's desires
the impressionable heiress couldn't resist the decadent temptations of the jet-set life
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in pervert
a person who has sunk below the normal moral standard
avant-garde artists who were scorned by the bourgeoisie as talentless decadents
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hedonist
a person whose life is devoted to luxury and sensual pleasures
a decadent who squandered her once considerable family fortune
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of decadent
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
The distillery’s pinnacle expression is the annual release of Remus Gatsby Reserve, a 15-year-old bourbon that is decadent and delicious, with equal parts sweetness, spice, and tannic oak that doesn’t overwhelm notes of fruit and black pepper.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 23 Apr. 2026
Amber Rambharose, InStyle, 15 Mar. 2026
Easter brunch is the perfect excuse to cook these decadents rolls—and, trust us, everyone will thank you.
—Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for decadent
Adjective
And his choose-your-own-cut steak frites comes with a decadent au poivre sauce made from roasted bone marrow, sherry and four varieties of peppercorn.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
The distillery’s pinnacle expression is the annual release of Remus Gatsby Reserve, a 15-year-old bourbon that is decadent and delicious, with equal parts sweetness, spice, and tannic oak that doesn’t overwhelm notes of fruit and black pepper.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 23 Apr. 2026
Noun
Chalamet's mocha-brown Givenchy suit was nothing short of decadent at the Marty Supreme France premiere.
—Amber Rambharose, InStyle, 15 Mar. 2026
Easter brunch is the perfect excuse to cook these decadents rolls—and, trust us, everyone will thank you.
—Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for decadent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decadent
Adjective
-
Jimmy Fallon helped all the degenerate gamblers out there choose a Kentucky Derby winner by having puppies (who each represented a Derby horse) run to kibble.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
-
Be classy, yet still maintain some of your degenerate tendencies.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Other methods of sneaking contraband into a prison include throwing it over a facility’s fence, coordinating through the mail and, in some cases, involving corrupt corrections officers.—
Taylor Galgano,
CNN Money,
3 May 2026
-
Assessor Gus Kramer stayed in office when a jury deadlocked on a civil grand jury accusation of willful or corrupt misconduct in office.—
East Bay Times editorial,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Dry Goods and its sibling stores, Wild Life and Workshop, had music from former first lady of France Carla Bruni playing over the stereo and were heavy on Belgian and Japanese lines that were equal parts luxurious (silk) and frumpy (boxy).—
Marisa Meltzer,
Vanity Fair,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The luxurious-feeling moisturizer contains a ferment concentrate to fade sun spots or dark spots, and to combat wrinkles for a more resilient finish.—
Alanna Martine Kilkeary,
Glamour,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Nora Ephron for depressed perverts.—
Antonia Blyth,
Deadline,
16 Feb. 2026
-
You are being spied on by a pervert.—
Jay Ruttenberg,
New Yorker,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
And what fame gave me, what addiction fueled was opportunity for endless consent, which led me to be a hedonist and a fool and an exploiter of women.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
-
And what fame gave me and what my addiction fueled was opportunity for endless consent, which led me to be a hedonist and a fool and an exploiter of women.—
Lindsay Kimble,
PEOPLE,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Scarf critics accuse the accessory—and by extension, its wearers—of being effete or affected.—
Eric Twardzik,
Robb Report,
1 Dec. 2025
-
What we’re left with is an effete description that exists for itself and doesn’t illuminate the character.—
Hannah Gold,
New Yorker,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Poor financial decisions have led to bad housing policy and degraded services.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
The Teamsters warned a degraded zoo experience would await visitors who crossed the picket line, suggesting that certain programs such as dolphin shows would be canceled due to the strike.—
Talia Soglin,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
From cheeky shots of celebrities like Jane Fonda and Arnold Schwarzenegger to extravagant, sensual portfolios of America’s Olympic squads, the magazine’s pantheon of photographers have helped to define the genre of sports portraiture.—
Erika Harwood,
Vanity Fair,
30 Apr. 2026
-
His litany of urgently treacly smashes was the soundtrack of that era, both a master class in minimal form that updated the mercenary structures of the Brill Building and Frank Sinatra, and also a cool and controlled reimagining of the sensual soul music of the late ’60s through the mid-70s.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decadent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decadent. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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