effete

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is a 17th century word originally meaning 'worn out by bearing offspring' (from Latin fetus) with reference to animals. It rapidly developed the transferred meaning '(of a material substance) that has lost its special quality or virtue', and by the late 18th century was being applied to persons or systems that had lost their effectiveness. In the 20th century it has come to be applied to effeminate men, though not, despite its etymology, to women who are or look as if they are past child-bearing age:

'Do you mind if I sit down?' asked the young man in effete, accented English—R. Kee, 1991.

It is still commonly used of ineffective institutions:

Mollycoddled, pampered by modern mores, man is becoming effete, though not totally emasculated—Herald (Glasgow), 2001.

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Academy Awards show host Jon Stewart had a laugh at the expense of two unsuccessful Best Picture contenders, Brokeback Mountain and Capote:

"Stewart said 'Capote' was groundbreaking because it 'showed America that not all gay people are virile cowboys. Some are actually effete New York intellectuals.'"

Link: Oscar's highs and lows

Posted March 7, 2006.

See our Word Overheard blog to see interesting uses of strange words.

adj

Definition: spoiled, exhausted
Antonyms: capable, tireless

adj

Definition: unproductive
Antonyms: productive, useful, working

IN BRIEF: adj. - No longer possessing a unique quality.

Without proper care, the aged grape vine gradually became effete and no longer bore fruit.

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For a list of words related to effete, see:

• Weak, Fearful, or Anxious
• Proper, Courteous, Refined, or Puritanical

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See words rhyming with "effete."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Effete.

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - svag, kraftløs, udpint

Nederlands (Dutch)
slap, steriel, verwijfd

Français (French)
adj. - mou (une personne), veule, affaibli (un gouvernement), décadent (une civilisation), (devenu) inefficace/stérile (une méthode)

Deutsch (German)
adj. - schwach

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - ξεπεσμένος, παρηκμασμένος

Italiano (Italian)
fiacco, effeminato

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - estéril, cansado

Русский (Russian)
расслабленный, изнеженный, выродившийся, дегенеративный

Español (Spanish)
adj. - débil, cansado, agotado, incapaz

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - kraftlös, utsliten, steril (om djur)

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
筋疲力尽的, 衰微的, 疲惫的

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 筋疲力盡的, 衰微的, 疲憊的

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 무력해진, 생산력이 없는

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 精力の尽きた, 志を忘れた, 柔弱な, 再生産力のない

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) عقيم, عاجز‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮חלש, מנוון, בלה, תשוש‬

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