ef·fete ( -f t )adj. 1. Depleted of vitality, force, or effectiveness; exhausted: the final, effete period of the baroque style. 2. Marked by self-indulgence, triviality, or decadence: an effete group of self-professed intellectuals. 3. Overrefined; effeminate. 4. No longer productive; infertile. [Latin eff tus, worn out, exhausted : ex-, ex- + ftus, bearing young, pregnant; see dh(i)- in Indo-European roots.]ef·fete ly adv.ef·fete ness n. |
effete [ɪˈfiːt]
adj
1. weak, ineffectual, or decadent as a result of overrefinement an effete academic
2. exhausted of vitality or strength; worn out; spent
3. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Biology) (of animals or plants) no longer capable of reproduction
[from Latin effētus having produced young, hence, exhausted by bearing, from fētus having brought forth; see fetus]
effetely adv
effeteness n
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Adj. | 1. | effete - marked by excessive self-indulgence and moral decay; "a decadent life of excessive money and no sense of responsibility"; "a group of effete self-professed intellectuals" indulgent - characterized by or given to yielding to the wishes of someone ; "indulgent grandparents" |
effete
adjective weak, cowardly, feeble, ineffectual, decrepit, spineless, enfeebled, weak-kneed (informal), enervated, overrefined, chicken-hearted, wimpish or wimpy (informal) a charming but effete young man
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