Synonyms for effete
- adjective
Most common
worn-out impotent decrepit effeminate pretentious fey immoral decadent
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Impotent — lacking strength or vitality; feeble, powerless, impotent
impotent, worn-out, effeminate, decrepit, enfeebled, feeble, languid, exhausted, weak, superannuated, puny, wasted, tired, powerless, anemic US, anaemic UK, decayed, debilitated, worn, barren, weakened, stale, low
2. Pretentious — affected, overrefined
pretentious, fey, stilted, precious, pansified informal
3. Spent — exhausted, spent, worn-out
spent, out, depleted, used up, gone, consumed, expended, finished, done up informal dated
4. Incontinent — decadent, weak through self-indulgence
Definitions
- adj. 1
exhausted, spent, worn-out.
- adj. 2
Lacking strength or vitality; feeble, powerless, impotent.
- adj. 3
Decadent, weak through self-indulgence.
- adj. 4
Affected, overrefined.
Example sentences
- impotent "Your army is impotent against mine!!" he laughed.
- decrepit I think that his uncle is a decrepit old man.
- effeminate Sato's high voice and mannerisms are pretty effeminate.
- pretentious I now have the ability to be a pretentious prick.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| effete | steady | |
| impotent | steady | |
| decrepit | rising | |
| effeminate | rising | |
| pretentious | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- out1, low1, fey1
- 4 letters
- gone1, weak1, worn1, puny2
- 5 letters
- spent1, tired2, stale1
- 6 letters
- wasted2, barren2, feeble2, anemic3
- 7 letters
- immoral3, decayed2, stilted2, languid2, anaemic
- 8 letters
- finished2, precious2, consumed2, weakened2, depleted3, impotent3, expended3, decadent3, decrepit3
- 9 letters
- exhausted3, powerless3, enfeebled3, pansified
- 10 letters
- dissipated4, effeminate4
- 11 letters
- pretentious3, incontinent4, debilitated5
- 13 letters
- superannuated
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (puny2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- affaibli