effeminate
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English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Middle English effeminat, effemynat, from Latin effēminātus, past participle of effēminō, from fēmina (“woman”).
Pronunciation
- (adjective): IPA(key): /ɪˈfɛmɪnət/
Audio (Southern England) (file)
- (verb): IPA(key): /ɪˈfɛmɪneɪt/
Audio (Southern England) (file)
Adjective
effeminate (comparative more effeminate, superlative most effeminate)
- (often derogatory, of a man or boy) Exhibiting behaviour or mannerisms considered typical of a female; unmasculine.
- 1759, Richard Hurd, Moral and Political Dialogues:
- An effeminate and unmanly foppery.
- 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XI, in Francesca Carrara. , volume I, London: Richard Bentley, , (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 125:
- 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.
- (obsolete) Womanly; tender, affectionate, caring.
- 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 Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :
- Gentle, kind, effeminate remorse.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Translations
of a man, behaving like a woman
Verb
effeminate (third-person singular simple present effeminates, present participle effeminating, simple past and past participle effeminated)
- (transitive, archaic or nonstandard) To make womanly; to unman.
- 1603, Michel de Montaigne, translated by John Florio, The Essayes , London: Val Simmes for Edward Blount , →OCLC:, Folio Society, 2006, vol.1, p.134:
- the studie of sciences doth more weaken and effeminate mens minds, than corroborate and adapt them to warre.
- 1693, [John Locke], “§106”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: A and J Churchill, , →OCLC:
- It will not corrupt or effeminate their [children's] minds.
- 2003 April 13, AlannahLouis, “Thoughts on #308 - THREE GAYS OF THE CONDO”, in alt.tv.simpsons (Usenet):
- 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?
- (intransitive) To become womanly.
Noun
effeminate (plural effeminates)
- An effeminate person.
- 1976, Psychiatry, volumes 39-40, page 246:
- The effeminates are males with obviously recognizable traits and mannerisms; […]
Related terms
Italian
Adjective
effeminate
Latin
Verb
effēmināte
References
- “effeminate”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- “effeminate”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
- effeminate in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.