decadent
Americanadjective
-
characterized by decadence, especially culturally or morally.
a decadent life of excessive money and no sense of responsibility.
- Synonyms:
- self-indulgent, debauched, degenerate, immoral, corrupt
-
(often initial capital letter) of or like the decadents.
noun
-
a person who is decadent.
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(often initial capital letter) one of a group of French and English writers of the latter part of the 19th century whose works were characterized by aestheticism, great refinement or subtlety of style, and a marked tendency toward the artificial and abnormal in content.
adjective
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characterized by decay or decline, as in being self-indulgent or morally corrupt
-
belonging to a period of decline in artistic standards
noun
-
a decadent person
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(often capital) one of a group of French and English writers of the late 19th century whose works were characterized by refinement of style and a tendency towards the artificial and abnormal
Usage
What does decadent mean? Decadent is used to describe things, such as a society or era, that are thought to be in a state of deterioration or decay, especially due to being excessively morally corrupt or self-indulgent.The state of being decadent is decadence.Decadent is also popularly used in a somewhat figurative way to describe things that are extremely indulgent, especially rich foods, as in That triple chocolate cake is so decadent that I think I can only finish half a piece.When capitalized, the word Decadent has a much more specific meaning. It refers to members of the group of French and English writers in the second half of the 1800s whose works were known for their refined and subtle style and sometimes abnormal content. Writers considered Decadents include French poet Arthur Rimbaud and Irish writer Oscar Wilde.Example: Historians have traditionally depicted the late Roman Empire as a decadent society, but others have debated whether supposed corruption of morals actually contributed to its fall.
Other Word Forms
- decadently adverb
- nondecadent adjective
- overdecadent adjective
- overdecadently adverb
- semidecadent adjective
- semidecadently adverb
- undecadent adjective
- undecadently adverb
Etymology
Origin of decadent
First recorded in 1830–40; back formation from decadence; -ent
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Yet its parties, even at their most decadent and depraved, were never quite cool.
From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026
As for why the exhibition landed in L.A. for its second showing, Hewlett compares the city to Shanghai when it was “still free and decadent and swinging.”
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026
Now the decadent bar has inspired South Korea's latest dessert craze.
From BBC • Jan. 14, 2026
Opt for one of the brand-new luxury cabins aboard the Ghan, a nearly 100-year-old rail line, and the four-day trip from Darwin to Adelaide turns downright decadent.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 20, 2025
I wanted, however, something more from the new middle-class institution than either the decadent romanticism of the sixties or the careerism of the seventies.
From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
