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effete

adjective

ef·​fete e-ˈfēt How to pronounce effete (audio)
i-
1
: no longer fertile
2
a
: having lost character, vitality, or strength
the effete monarchies … of feudal Europe G. M. Trevelyan
… macrophages that recycle used iron from effete red cells. Nancy C. Andrews
b
: marked by weakness or decadence
the effete East
c
: soft or delicate from or as if from a pampered existence
peddled … trendy tweeds to effete Easterners William Helmer
effete tenderfeet
also : characteristic of an effete person
a wool scarf … a bit effete on an outdoorsman Nelson Bryant
3
: effeminate sense 1
a good-humored, effete boy brought up by maiden aunts Herman Wouk
effetely adverb
effeteness noun

Did you know?

Effete derives from Latin effetus, meaning "no longer fruitful," and for a brief time in English it was used to describe an animal no longer capable of producing offspring. For most of its existence in English, however, the use of "effete" has been entirely figurative. For many years, the usual figurative sense of the word was "exhausted" or "worn out," but today "effete" is more likely to suggest overrefinement, weakness of character, snobbery, and effeminacy. "Effete" first showed signs of acquiring these shades of meaning in the 1920s, but it wasn't until the 1940s that the new "effete" clearly established itself in reputable writing. One example can be found in John Steinbeck's 1945 novel Cannery Row: "now and then some effete customer would order a stinger or an anisette."

Example Sentences

effete members of the aristocracy the soft, effete society that marked the final years of the Roman empire
Recent Examples on the Web The network was widely perceived as stuffy and effete. Glenn Rifkin, Washington Post, 15 Sep. 2022 The political orientations remain the same each time, which seems a bit trite—the effete lib having his soymobile rescued by some diesel-guzzling alpha. Rafil Kroll-zaidi, Harper’s Magazine , 17 Aug. 2022 Meanwhile, Ruby’s brother, Jewel (James Anderson), is an effete, fretful, stay-at-home Christian fanatic, strumming his guitar in the kitchen all day, preaching dire prophecies, and threatening her with hellfire. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2022 The addition of Tom Hardy as Alfie Solomons, the hilariously effete and savage leader of a Jewish London gang, was a stroke of brilliance. Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 10 June 2022 The guns were symbols of outdoorsmanship, both rugged and effete. Washington Post, 12 Apr. 2022 The former investment banker is attacked both by Le Pen and his critics to the left as an effete figure ruling for the rich, disconnected from the concerns of ordinary French workers. Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2022 Many West Pakistanis—particularly those in the military establishment—also regarded the Bengalis as racially inferior, dismissing them as effete and unmanly. Tunku Varadarajan, WSJ, 18 Mar. 2022 Battling Butler: One of Buster Keaton’s biggest hits at the time, the silent film about a wealthy, effete young man who ends up forced to train as a boxer showcased Keaton’s signature physical humor as well as his ability as a director and editor. Livia Gershon, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Dec. 2021 See More

Word History

Etymology

Latin effetus, from ex- + fetus fruitful — more at feminine

First Known Use

1660, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of effete was in 1660

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