effete

23 synonyms and 1 antonym for effete, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Adj — Worn out and drained of energy.

Synonyms

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

gone finished spent affected precious

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

depleted exhausted consumed delicate theatrical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

expended decrepit anemic enfeebled puny debilitated enervated dissipated stagy overrefined stilted pretentious fey

Worn out and drained of energy.

gone depleted finished expended spent exhausted consumed

Weak and without any real strength or power.

“Most writers merely produce effete works on paper, you might say, but Kerouac went and wrestled with the tree itself.”

decrepit anemic enfeebled puny debilitated enervated exhausted delicate

Opposites

vigorous

Weakened by too much indulgence and luxury.

dissipated

Overly refined and unnatural in manner.

stagy overrefined theatrical stilted affected pretentious fey precious

From Latin effētus ("exhausted", literally "that has given birth"), first used in the 1620s.

gone spent finished affected precious exhausted consumed delicate theatrical vigorous depleted expended