effeminate

adjective

ə-ˈfe-mə-nət How to pronounce effeminate (audio)
Definition of effeminatenext
as in feminine
of or relating to a man who has or displays qualities traditionally considered more suitable for women he had a high and somewhat effeminate voice

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of effeminate Here is a boy warrior, with a supple abdomen and bare bronze thighs, confident and effeminate. — Phil Melanson, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 June 2025 So in a move that no one had approved, Wayans put on an effeminate voice for the character in hopes Executive Producer Lorne Michaels would be angry. — Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025 In both sketches, Keaton plays an effeminate man who doesn’t quite understand the assignment. — Rosa Escandon, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024 She’d been bullied by kids in grade school and subjected to physical harm for being a boy who was, in their judgment, too effeminate. — Jon Freeman, Rolling Stone, 8 Dec. 2022 See All Example Sentences for effeminate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for effeminate
  1. feminine
  2. unmanly
Adjective
  • Through serial repetition, role-play, and the oscillation between masculine and feminine visual codes, Stötzer stages gender as something performed rather than possessed.
    — Elisa R. Linn, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Along with a brief moment of tenderness Sara experiences with her class’s resident dork, this feminine camaraderie makes for a nugget of niceness in a sea of despair.
    — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of feminine
Adjective
  • The elastic insult is meant to belittle the target as inauthentic, attention-hungry, unserious, and unmanly.
    — Erik Forrest Jackson, The Atlantic, 22 Aug. 2026
  • For Marius’ friend, police chief Silviu (Alex Conovaru), such solicitude is weak and unmanly.
    — Jay Weissberg, Variety, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of unmanly

Browse Nearby Words

effeminacy
effeminate
effervesce
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Cite this Entry

“Effeminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/effeminate. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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