decadent

[dek-uh-duhnt, dih-keyd-nt]

adjective

1. 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

2. (often initial capital letter),  of or like the decadents.

noun

1. a person who is decadent.

2. (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.

decadent

/ ˈdɛkədənt /

adjective

1. characterized by decay or decline, as in being self-indulgent or morally corrupt

2. belonging to a period of decline in artistic standards

noun

1. a decadent person

2. (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

Other Word Forms

• decadently adverb
• nondecadent adjective
• overdecadent adjective
• overdecadently adverb
• semidecadent adjective
• semidecadently adverb
• undecadent adjective
• undecadently adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of decadent¹

First recorded in 1830–40; back formation from decadence; -ent

Example Sentences

He insisted that he was an independent artist, proving the point by providing decadent, images for an edition of Thomas Malory’s paean to heroic chivalry, “Le Morte d’Arthur.”

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There was no giant screen in the massive tent where a decadent dinner was being served in celebration of honorees artist Mary Corse and director Ryan Coogler.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Even in the decadent disco era, he felt an obligation to champion Iranian music in L.A.

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A similar “dream of getting rid of the collector as an evil decadent/bourgeois/imperial looter” drove the “iconoclastic wave” that began in the U.S. after the death of George Floyd in 2020.

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Those decadent period pieces were like elaborate jewel settings designed to showcase Stone’s range.

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Related Words

• depraved 
• immoral 

When To Use

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.