effeminate

E1F4F4E1M3I1N1A1T1E1
/ɪˈfɛmɪnət//ɪˈfɛmɪneɪt/

adjective

Of a boy or man, exhibiting behavior or mannerisms considered typical of a woman or unmasculine.

Similar
campswishepiceneeffetefeminineunmanlyemasculatecissy
Opposite
uneffeminatenoneffeminatenon-effeminateimmasculate
OriginMiddle English effeminat ← Latin effēminātus →
UncommonScrabble 18
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Meanings

adjectiveeffeminate (comparative more effeminate, superlative most effeminate)

comparative more effeminate · superlative most effeminate · alternative obsolete effæminate · alternative obsolete effeminat · alternative obsolete effœminat · alternative obsolete effœminate

  1. derogatoryoftenOf a boy or man, exhibiting behavior or mannerisms considered typical of a woman or unmasculine.

    An effeminate and unmanly foppery.

    1759, Richard Hurd, Moral and Political Dialogues
    1 more example

    The Comte d'Artois had neither the dignified nor the manly air of his brother—he rather appeared like a pretty-looking girl, so effeminate was he and fair.

    1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XI, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume I, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 125
  2. obsoleteWomanly; tender, affectionate, caring.

    Gentle, kind, effeminate remorse.

    c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene vii]
verbeffeminate (third-person singular simple present effeminates, present participle effeminating, simple past and past participle effeminated)

present singular third person effeminates · participle present effeminating · participle past effeminated · past effeminated · alternative obsolete effæminate · alternative obsolete effeminat · alternative obsolete effœminat · alternative obsolete effœminate

  1. archaicnonstandardtransitiveTo make womanly; to unman.

    It will not corrupt or effeminate their [children's] minds.

    1693, [John Locke], “§106”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […], →OCLC
    2 more examples

    the studie of sciences doth more weaken and effeminate mens minds, than corroborate and adapt them to warre.

    , Folio Society, 2006, vol.1, p.134

    I mean the represenstation of gay men on The Simpsons is getting more one-dimensional. For several years Smithers was quite masculine, yet the writers have effeminated him gradually (collecting Barbies, for instance), now he's rollerblading down the street with rainbow hotpants on?

    2003 April 13, AlannahLouis, “Thoughts on #308 - THREE GAYS OF THE CONDO”, in alt.tv.simpsons (Usenet)
  2. intransitiveTo become womanly.
nouneffeminate (plural effeminates)

plural effeminates · alternative obsolete effæminate · alternative obsolete effeminat · alternative obsolete effœminat · alternative obsolete effœminate

  1. An effeminate person.

    The effeminates are males with obviously recognizable traits and mannerisms; […]

    1976, Psychiatry, volumes 39-40, page 246

Synonyms & antonyms

Similar
campswishepiceneeffetefeminineunmanly
Opposite
uneffeminatenoneffeminatenon-effeminate
Opposite
immasculate

adjectivehaving unsuitable feminine qualities

Similar
emasculateepicenecissysissifiedsissyishsissyunmanlyunmanfulunmanlike
Also see
cissyemasculateepicenefemininegirlysissifiedsissysissyishsoftunmanfulunmanlikeunmanlywomanish

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latineffēminātus
  2. Middle Englisheffeminat
  3. Englisheffeminate

From Middle English effeminat, effemynat, from Latin effēminātus, past participle of effēminō, from fēmina (“woman”).

More words from Middle English, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek γυναικώδης, μαλακός
  • γυναικώδης (gunaikṓdēs)of a man, behaving like a woman
  • μαλακός (malakós)of a man, behaving like a woman
Arabic مُخَنَّث
  • مُخَنَّث (muḵannaṯ)of a man, behaving like a woman
Bulgarian женствен
  • женствен (ženstven)of a man, behaving like a woman
Catalan efeminat, afemellat
  • efeminatof a man, behaving like a woman
  • afemellatof a man, behaving like a woman
Chinese Cantonese 乸型
  • 乸型 (naa² jing⁴)of a man, behaving like a woman
Chinese Mandarin 娘娘腔, 女人氣 /女人气
  • 娘娘腔 (niángniángqiāng)of a man, behaving like a woman
  • 女人氣 /女人气 (nǚrénqì)of a man, behaving like a woman
Czech zženštilý
  • zženštilýof a man, behaving like a woman
Danish kvindagtig
  • kvindagtigof a man, behaving like a woman
Dutch verwijfd
  • verwijfdof a man, behaving like a woman
Esperanto virineca, ineca
  • virinecaof a man, behaving like a woman
  • inecaof a man, behaving like a woman
Finnish naismainen, epämiehekäs
  • naismainenof a man, behaving like a woman
  • epämiehekäsof a man, behaving like a woman
  • feminiininenof a man, behaving like a woman
French efféminé, efféminée
  • efféminéof a man, behaving like a woman
  • efféminéeof a man, behaving like a woman
German weibisch, tuntig
  • weibischof a man, behaving like a woman
  • tuntigof a man, behaving like a woman
  • effeminiertof a man, behaving like a woman
  • verweichlichtof a man, behaving like a woman
  • verweiblichtof a man, behaving like a woman
Greek θηλυπρεπής
  • θηλυπρεπής (thilyprepís)of a man, behaving like a woman
Hindi स्त्रैण
  • स्त्रैण (straiṇ)of a man, behaving like a woman
Indonesian banci, kemayu
  • banciof a man, behaving like a woman
  • kemayuof a man, behaving like a woman
Irish baineanda, baineann
  • baineandaof a man, behaving like a woman
  • baineannof a man, behaving like a woman
  • piteogachof a man, behaving like a woman
  • piteántaof a man, behaving like a woman
Italian effemminato
  • effemminatoof a man, behaving like a woman
Japanese 女々しい
  • 女々しい (memeshii)of a man, behaving like a woman
Korean 유약
  • 유약 (yuyak)of a man, behaving like a woman
Latin ēvirātus, perfluus
  • ēvirātusof a man, behaving like a woman
  • perfluusof a man, behaving like a woman
Norwegian kvinneaktig, umandig
  • kvinneaktigof a man, behaving like a woman
  • umandigof a man, behaving like a woman
  • jenteteof a man, behaving like a woman
  • jenteaktigof a man, behaving like a woman
  • kvinneligof a man, behaving like a woman
  • femiof a man, behaving like a woman
  • bløtaktigof a man, behaving like a woman
Norwegian Bokmål feminin, fjollete
  • femininof a man, behaving like a woman
  • fjolleteof a man, behaving like a woman
Persian امرد
  • امرد (amard)of a man, behaving like a woman
Polish zniewieściały, zbabiały
  • zniewieściałyof a man, behaving like a woman
  • zbabiałyof a man, behaving like a woman
  • wydelikaconyof a man, behaving like a woman
  • babskiof a man, behaving like a woman
Portuguese afeminado, efeminado
  • afeminadoof a man, behaving like a woman
  • efeminadoof a man, behaving like a woman
  • mulherilof a man, behaving like a woman
  • adamadoof a man, behaving like a woman
  • amulheradoof a man, behaving like a woman
  • afemeadoof a man, behaving like a woman
  • amaricadoof a man, behaving like a woman
  • dengosoof a man, behaving like a woman
  • invirilof a man, behaving like a woman
  • mulherengoof a man, behaving like a woman
  • amulherengadoof a man, behaving like a woman
  • paneleiroof a man, behaving like a woman
Punjabi ਜ਼ਨਾਨਾ, زَنانہ
  • ਜ਼ਨਾਨਾ (zanānā)of a man, behaving like a woman
  • زَنانہ (zanānh)of a man, behaving like a woman
Romanian afemeiat
  • afemeiatof a man, behaving like a woman
Russian женоподо́бный
  • женоподо́бный (ženopodóbnyj)of a man, behaving like a woman
Scottish Gaelic boireannta
  • boireanntaof a man, behaving like a woman
Slovak zoženštený
  • zoženštenýof a man, behaving like a woman
Spanish afeminado, amanerado
  • afeminadoof a man, behaving like a woman
  • amaneradoof a man, behaving like a woman
  • amujeradoof a man, behaving like a woman
  • ahembradoof a man, behaving like a woman
  • adamadoof a man, behaving like a woman
  • mujerilof a man, behaving like a woman
  • amariconadoof a man, behaving like a woman
Swedish fjollig
  • fjolligof a man, behaving like a woman
Tagalog binabae
  • binabaeof a man, behaving like a woman
Turkish yumuşak, efemine
  • yumuşakof a man, behaving like a woman
  • efemineof a man, behaving like a woman
Ukrainian жонови́дий, жінкуватий
  • жонови́дий (žonovýdyj)of a man, behaving like a woman
  • жінкуватий (žinkuvatyj)of a man, behaving like a woman
Welsh merchetaidd
  • merchetaiddof a man, behaving like a woman
Cite this entry
APA

effeminate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/effeminate

MLA

“effeminate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/effeminate. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “effeminate,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/effeminate.

Source: effeminate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.