1
as in degenerate
having lost forcefulness, courage, or spirit
the soft, effete society that marked the final years of the Roman empire
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in weak
lacking bodily strength
the outdoor adventure program takes effete youths and turns them into hardy campers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of effete
This is bad enough, but then there’s the wide gulf of sensibility that separates Rock and Martin; the latter’s effete irony just doesn’t gel with Rock’s political trenchancy.
—
Bill Wyman, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2025
The Portnoy in the pizza videos often has a preening, fussy, almost effete quality that complicates his butch self-image.
—Willy Staley, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025
This is bad enough, but then there’s the wide gulf of sensibility that separates Rock and Martin; the latter’s effete irony just doesn’t gel with Rock’s political trenchancy.
—Bill Wyman, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2025
The Portnoy in the pizza videos often has a preening, fussy, almost effete quality that complicates his butch self-image.
—Willy Staley, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for effete
Bill Wyman, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2025
The Portnoy in the pizza videos often has a preening, fussy, almost effete quality that complicates his butch self-image.
—Willy Staley, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025
This is bad enough, but then there’s the wide gulf of sensibility that separates Rock and Martin; the latter’s effete irony just doesn’t gel with Rock’s political trenchancy.
—Bill Wyman, Vulture, 28 Feb. 2025
The Portnoy in the pizza videos often has a preening, fussy, almost effete quality that complicates his butch self-image.
—Willy Staley, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for effete
Recent Examples of Synonyms for effete
Adjective
-
In his native Germany, he was reviled by the Nazis as a degenerate artist.—
Celia Bell
July 22,
Literary Hub,
22 July 2025
-
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
Adjective
-
And if tariffs only cause a one-time jump in prices, weaker purchasing power could slow the economy.—
Raul Elizalde,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Paradise lost Alaska and Crimea remain linked in some ways today, both viewed as historic Russian regions lost by weak leaders – Yeltsin, the first president of independent Russia, is reviled for recognizing Crimea as part of Ukraine after the USSR collapsed.—
Dan Morrison,
USA Today,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Mainstream musical offerings of the time tended toward the overly macho or overly feminine, overly loud or overly slick—but indie appeared to value complexity and smarts.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Since the 1950s, the garment has been a quiet, reliable choice for women looking to add an instantly elegant and feminine touch to their outfit.—
Laura Sandroni,
Glamour,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
But the decadent versions that Southerners love today, speckled with ingredients like pecans, coconut, pineapple, and spices, really took off after World War II.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
20 Aug. 2025
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The high-performance version of the decadent seven-seater comes with a 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 that pumps out 682 hp and 653 ft lbs of torque.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
While the bats themselves are feeble foes, the rabies virus is a brutal beast.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
13 Aug. 2025
-
But the animal would also be pretty feeble at this stage — if this happened in a very short period of time, the muscle growth wouldn't be able to keep up with the expansion of the exoskeleton.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Its breathable, soft nature allows Savin to sink in without feeling stuck.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
25 Aug. 2025
-
What sold me on this towel compared to many others on the market is its soft texture.—
Karthika Gupta,
Travel + Leisure,
24 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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 3 Sep. 2025.
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