effete

American  

[ih-feet] / ɪˈfit /

adjective

1. lacking in wholesome vigor; degenerate; decadent.

   an effete, overrefined society.

2. exhausted of vigor or energy; worn out.

   an effete political force.

   Synonyms:

   enervated

3. unable to produce; sterile.

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effete British  

/ ɪˈfiːt /

adjective

1. weak, ineffectual, or decadent as a result of overrefinement

   an effete academic

2. exhausted of vitality or strength; worn out; spent

3. (of animals or plants) no longer capable of reproduction

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Other Word Forms

• effetely adverb
• effeteness noun
• noneffete adjective
• noneffetely adverb
• noneffeteness noun
• uneffete adjective
• uneffeteness noun

Etymology

Origin of effete

First recorded in 1615–25; from Latin effēta “exhausted from bearing,” equivalent to ef- “from, out of” ( ef- ) + fēta “having brought forth,” feminine past participle of lost verb; fetus

Example Sentences

Mostly that has meant pretending to be a Real American by riding horses, going hunting or driving around in a pick-up to prove they aren’t some effete city slicker.

From Salon

“I’ll go after him for being ‘this effete knower of arcane knowledge, who knows little tidbits that no one would care about.’

From Los Angeles Times

Funny, frail, effete, Bettany’s Warhol is as meticulously impersonal as his art, and my goodness he whines.

From New York Times

The network was widely perceived as stuffy and effete.

From Washington Post

They dive into the players’ sensibilities and seem to understand that being weird, effete or ambivalent might be part of these athletes’ power.

From New York Times