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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2
as in weak
lacking bodily strength
the outdoor adventure program takes effete youths and turns them into hardy campers
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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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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 of effete in a Sentence
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Recent Examples on the Web
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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Or have his years in finance scrambled his brain and turned him into a degenerate gambler, both at the office and outside it?Zachary Siegel, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2024
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The result is a book laden with put-downs of the English working class, who are cast in eugenicist terms as a degenerate race.Lennard J. Davis, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2024
Adjective
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Beijing can mitigate this with more stimulus, export controls and a weaker currency, although these steps carry risks such as capital flight, debt and further trade conflict.David Kirton, USA TODAY, 24 Oct. 2024
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His efforts have been challenged by weak consumer sentiment in countries including the US and China.Owen Tripp, Fortune Europe, 24 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Inge: In Sweden and Norway, Inge is historically seen as a masculine name; however, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, and other countries typically use it as a feminine name.Anna Moeslein, Parents, 26 Oct. 2024
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The witchy tale of a young rookie (Dakota Johnson) learning a coven secretly runs her famous dance company is one of feminine strength and schlocky carnage.Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 25 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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When your next potluck or bring-a-dish dinner rolls around, make this decadent potato side dish.Shelli McConnell, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Oct. 2024
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Those who prefer a simple cup of coffee may appreciate black coffee without sweeteners, while those searching for a decadent beverage may opt for a more adventurous cappuccino.Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, RDN, Health, 29 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Low wages, high youth unemployment and a feeble social safety net mean China’s household spending is less than 40% of annual economic output, some 20 percentage points below the global average.Reuters, CNN, 11 Oct. 2024
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The economy has been weighed down by the weakness of its industrial sector amid Russia’s shutdown in natural gas supplies after the invasion of Ukraine, as well as feeble Chinese demand and the car industry’s difficulties in pivoting to electric vehicles.Eleanor Pringle, Fortune Europe, 8 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Voting blocs: While much of the conversation in the closing days of the campaign has surrounded Harris’s soft support among men, Democrats argue that women have the chance to boost Harris.Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 4 Nov. 2024
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Near the beginning of the night, before Rateliff had boomed his way into every nook and cranny of the X, a couple of softer songs verged on feeling thin.Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 4 Nov. 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 8 Nov. 2024.
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