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
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example 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.
—
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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Its economy is already facing a deepening malaise, brought on by a property crisis, mounting government debt and weak consumer spending.—
David Pierson,
New York Times,
22 Jan. 2025
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The team continues to play great with a different weak spot each season, so maybe that’s part of the excitement and drama of being a fan of the franchise now. · 5h 1m ago Thanks Chandler, good stuff as always.—
Chandler Rome,
The Athletic,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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However, sticking to her overall intention with the film, Berg draws a line between this technical skill and Buckley’s ethereal spirit, which, having been raised by a single mother, contained both masculine and feminine features and poured love onto others with reckless abandon.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
24 Jan. 2025
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The effect not only evokes the effortless, feminine glamour of Grace Kelly, but makes this the most wearable color of spring and summer.—
Marilú Almaguer,
Glamour,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Book a massage, personal trainer, or a decadent session in a gorgeous private hammam.—
Elizabeth Brownfield,
Forbes,
17 Jan. 2025
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For me, simple congee with pickles and pork floss was perfect to help with digestion after more than a week of decadent meals.—
Amber Gibson,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Jan. 2025
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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Downy refers to the soft, white feathers located on a white stripe down its back.—
Sheryl De Vore,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Jan. 2025
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With a focus on soft, natural tones, sustainable materials and biophilic elements like plants and greenery, this trend transforms hospitality spaces into peaceful sanctuaries.—
Roger Sands,
Forbes,
21 Jan. 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
Thesaurus Entries Near effete
Cite this Entry
“Effete.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/effete. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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