effete

[ ih-feet ]

adjective

1. lacking in wholesome vigor; degenerate; decadent:

   an effete, overrefined society.

2. exhausted of vigor or energy; worn out:

   an effete political force.

   Synonyms: enervated

3. unable to produce; sterile.

effete

/ ɪˈfiːt /

adjective

1. weak, ineffectual, or decadent as a result of overrefinement

   an effete academic

2. exhausted of vitality or strength; worn out; spent
3. (of animals or plants) no longer capable of reproduction

Derived Forms

• efˈfetely, adverb
• efˈfeteness, noun

Other Words From

• ef·fetely adverb
• ef·feteness noun
• nonef·fete adjective
• nonef·fetely adverb
• nonef·feteness noun
• unef·fete adjective
• unef·feteness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of effete¹

First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin effēta “exhausted from bearing,” equivalent to ef- “from, out of” ( ef- ) + fēta “having brought forth,” feminine past participle of lost verb; fetus

Word History and Origins

Origin of effete¹

C17: from Latin effētus having produced young, hence, exhausted by bearing, from fētus having brought forth; see fetus

Example Sentences

It’s in his cocky but effete delivery, the same vocal quality I heard when theater queens debated who was the superior Mame at West Village gay bars.

From New York Times

“I’ll go after him for being ‘this effete knower of arcane knowledge, who knows little tidbits that no one would care about.’

From Los Angeles Times

Perfetti gives him an effete contemporaneity, but the character needs new lines more than a new look.

From Los Angeles Times

Mr. Zeman, a rambunctious, old-school politician with a knack for connecting with ordinary people, delights in offending effete liberal sensibilities and conventional wisdom.

From New York Times

Funny, frail, effete, Bettany’s Warhol is as meticulously impersonal as his art, and my goodness he whines.

From New York Times