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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of effete
Once again, there are the effete snobs and the salt-of-the-earth people who tolerate them.
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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
But with the advent of the Great Depression and World War II, his urbane, effete mannequins fell out of favor.
—Dan Avery, NBC News, 7 June 2023
As the effete mentor to Wayne in the film's first half, Neeson nicely toys with the audience without tipping his hand.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 17 Feb. 2023
See all Example Sentences for effete 
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
But with the advent of the Great Depression and World War II, his urbane, effete mannequins fell out of favor.
—Dan Avery, NBC News, 7 June 2023
As the effete mentor to Wayne in the film's first half, Neeson nicely toys with the audience without tipping his hand.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 17 Feb. 2023
See all Example Sentences for effete
Recent Examples of Synonyms for effete
Adjective
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There was alarm at the prospect of hundreds of thousands of soldiers returning to the U.S. with such degenerate experience under their belts, and presumably spreading these habits among hitherto innocent American wives.Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
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Ammon did appear tempted to talk the walk in Portland, to become the Mormon cowboy philosopher king wandering a degenerate realm of an ailing Republic, but by now time was in extremely short supply.Matt Thompson, SPIN, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Area roads could become dangerously slick Monday morning as a weak system is expected to bring freezing rain overnight, according to the National Weather Service.Frank Vaisvilas, Journal Sentinel, 22 Dec. 2024
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Houston will be a weaker team in 2025, but one Brown still believes can capture an American League West championship.Chandler Rome, The Athletic, 21 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The gold finish and delicate design add a feminine touch to the decor piece, perfect for using as a coat hanger or jewelry organizer.Mia Meltzer, Rolling Stone, 12 Dec. 2024
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For example, if a butterfly like Papilio glaucus were transferred to a genus with a feminine name, the epithet glaucus (masculine form) would be adjusted to glauca to agree in gender with the new genus.The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 12 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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This recipe takes a simple pumpkin cake and turns it into a wonderfully decadent dessert with a creamy, spiced filling and whipped topping with caramel, toffee bars, and nuts.Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 16 Dec. 2024
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Indulge in twenty-four gourmet biscotti bedecked with six decadent flavors.Nora Colomer, Fox News, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The antihero actioner earned a feeble $4.7 million across Friday and preview screenings from 3,211 locations.J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 14 Dec. 2024
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What a degrading finale for Biden’s feeble, forgettable, frequently foolish presidency.Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Chadwick says that over the last 10 years, football has acted as a glue: managing the country’s image and profile through soft power and diplomacy.Simon Hughes, The Athletic, 22 Dec. 2024
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The bird thrives in alpine grasslands, feeding on tussock grass by stripping its leaves to reach the soft bases.Scott Travers, Forbes, 22 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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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
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But worry not: Once it’s done poking fun at an effeminate male stereotype, the script swoops in with a cautious coming-out monologue perfectly tailored to generate a fresh round of headlines celebrating and/or criticizing Disney’s latest LGBTQ milestone.Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2021
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
Thesaurus Entries Near effete
Cite this Entry
“Effete.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/effete. Accessed 26 Dec. 2024.
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