effeminate

[ adjective ih-fem-uh-nit; verb ih-fem-uh-neyt ]

/ adjective ɪˈfɛm ə nɪt; verb ɪˈfɛm əˌneɪt /

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adjective

(of a man or boy) having traits, tastes, habits, etc., traditionally considered feminine, as softness or delicacy.

characterized by excessive softness, delicacy, self-indulgence, etc.: effeminate luxury.

verb (used with or without object), ef·fem·i·nat·ed, ef·fem·i·nat·ing.

to make or become effeminate.

Nearby words

Origin of effeminate

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin effēminātus, equivalent to ef- ef- + fēmin(a) woman + -ātus -ate¹

SYNONYMS FOR effeminate

1. See female.

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Related forms

ef·fem·i·nate·ly, adverbef·fem·i·nate·ness, nounef·fem·i·na·tion, nounun·ef·fem·i·nate, adjective

un·ef·fem·i·nate·ly, adverb

Can be confusedeffeminate effete feminine womanish womanly (see synonym study at womanly)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for effeminate

As played by Omundson, King Richard is effeminate, sincere, and ten times funnier than everyone else.
‘Galavant’: A Drunken, Horny Musical Fairy Tale|Melissa Leon|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And did you know that effeminate men in the 18th-century were known as “mollies”?
Queer Style A History of Fashion at FIT in New York|Peter Davis|September 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST
According to the sushi chef, the second son is sickly and perceived to be too effeminate to lead the country.
Kim Jong Il Names Successor|Philip Shenon|July 23, 2010|DAILY BEAST
It is easy for the militias to score points by attacking groups that are universally disliked, like effeminate men, Long notes.
Iraq's Anti-Gay Pogrom|Parvez Sharma|August 16, 2009|DAILY BEAST

Hazlitt shared the popular conception of Keats as an effeminate poet.
Hazlitt on English Literature|Jacob Zeitlin
Between Brie and Pont l'Evêque but more delicate than either, though not effeminate.
The Complete Book of Cheese|Robert Carlton Brown
And this was in a nation that we have always looked upon as effeminate and excitable!
From the St. Lawrence to the Yser with the 1st Canadian brigade|Frederic C. Curry
As if Matterson's effeminate voice had again goaded him to fury, O'Hara burst out anew.
The Great Quest|Charles Boardman Hawes
The effeminate aspect given to his face by his remarkable complexion might easily deceive one as to his real character.
The Albert Gate Mystery|Louis Tracy

British Dictionary definitions for effeminate

effeminate

/ (ɪˈfɛmɪnɪt) /

adjective

(of a man or boy) displaying characteristics regarded as typical of a woman; not manly

lacking firmness or vigouran effeminate piece of writing

Derived Formseffeminacy or effeminateness, nouneffeminately, adverb

Word Origin for effeminate

C14: from Latin effēmināre to make into a woman, from fēmina woman

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for effeminate

effeminate

adj.

early 15c., from Latin effeminatus "womanish, effeminate," past participle of effeminare "make a woman of," from ex- "out" (see ex-) + femina "woman" (see feminine). Rarely used without reproach. Related: Effeminately.

effeminate

adjective

verb (used with or without object), ef·fem·i·nat·ed, ef·fem·i·nat·ing.

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Origin of effeminate

Examples from the Web for effeminate

effeminate

adjective

Word Origin for effeminate

effeminate