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Effete: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Effete adjective. Worn out and no longer able to do what it once did.
How to say it
ih-FEET/ɪˈfiːt/
2 syllables, stressed on the second (FEET).
Meanings
- Worn out and no longer able to do what it once did.
- Over-refined, affected and lacking vigour.
Effete in a sentence
By the 1700s the old dynasty was effete, all ceremony and no power.
He mocked the effete critics who had never written a line themselves.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- exhausted
- spent
- decadent
- feeble
Opposite:
- vigorous
- robust
Careful
Effete first meant exhausted and no longer fruitful. Today it's mostly used for over-refined or affected, often as a sneer at men thought unmanly, so it can land as an insult.
Where effete comes from
From Latin effetus, worn out by bearing young.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
He mocked the _____ critics who had never written a line themselves.
- effete
- meretricious
- restive
Show the answer
effete: He mocked the effete critics who had never written a line themselves.