effeminate
effeminate Lexical Profile
effeminate Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Having or showing characteristics, mannerisms, or qualities traditionally associated with women rather than men (typically used of a man or boy, often with derogatory intent).
"The actor was known for portraying foppish, effeminate aristocrats in period dramas."
Overly refined, soft, or self-indulgent; lacking vigor or strength (archaic or literary).
"Moralists of the era complained that foreign luxuries had fostered an effeminate lifestyle among the nobility."
• verb
To make or become effeminate, soft, or unmanly (now rare or archaic).
"Classical historians often argued that prolonged peace and luxury tended to effeminate a once-martial populace."
Word Nuance & Usage
"Effeminate" is almost exclusively used with a pejorative or critical connotation to describe men or boys perceived as overly delicate or lacking traditional masculinity, unlike "feminine," which is neutral or positive.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in Late Middle English from Latin effeminatus, the past participle of effeminare ('to make feminine or weaken'), formed from ex- ('out') and femina ('woman').