Effete
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /ɪˈfiːt/ · Part of speech adjective
Quick meaning: Effete is an adjective meaning Lacking strength or vitality; feeble, powerless, impotent.
Meaning
Lacking strength or vitality; feeble, powerless, impotent.
More Meanings
- Decadent, weak through self-indulgence.
- (of a person) Affected, overrefined.
- (obsolete, of substances, quantities etc) exhausted, spent, worn-out.
Example Sentences
Most writers merely produce effete works on paper, you might say, but Kerouac went and wrestled with the tree itself.
The Port Washington players all wear matching socks and shorts and tucked-in shirts. They look sharp but effete, a mannequinish aspect to them.
A spirit of national masochism prevails, encouraged by an effete core of impudent snobs who characterize themselves as intellectuals (Spiro Agnew, October 1969)
For the President, the EU is an essentially effete project – a civilian power that likes to see itself as human rights based and collegiate, but with no hard power of its own.
Synonyms for effete
Depending on context, synonyms include low, consumed, depleted, exhausted, expended, gone.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include decadent, indulgent, exhausted, feeble, weak, languors.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.