Meaning & use
effeminate
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivecomparabledisapprovingoffensive
Describing a man whose appearance or manner is judged to resemble stereotypically female behavior, often negatively.
Grammar: Can come before a noun or after linking verbs, but the word often carries old-fashioned criticism.
Patterns
- an effeminate manner
- an effeminate voice
- consider someone effeminate
The old review used effeminate as an insult about the actor's voice.
Many readers now find the word effeminate offensive when it mocks men.
He rejected the idea that a gentle manner is effeminate.
Common combinations
- effeminate manner
- The novel describes his laugh with the loaded phrase an effeminate manner.
- effeminate voice
- Critics quoted the line about an effeminate voice as an example of bias.
- considered effeminate
- In that school, dancing was wrongly considered effeminate.
Synonyms and how they differ
- unmanly
- A blunter insult for failing to match male stereotypes; effeminate specifically points toward female-coded traits.
- feminine
- Usually neutral or positive, especially for women; using it for men can still be sensitive but is less directly mocking than effeminate.
- camp
- Informal, especially British, for exaggerated style or manner; not a perfect synonym and depends heavily on context.
Word family
- effeminacy noun
- The quality of being judged effeminate; often dated or critical.
Commonly confused: effeminate or feminine?
effeminate vs feminine
Feminine describes qualities associated with women and can be neutral; effeminate is usually applied to men and often sounds judgmental.
Practice
In an old review, the critic used “effeminate” as a complaint about an actor’s voice. This use is best labeled ___.
Choose one answer.
The word often functions as a criticism of men and can be offensive. It is not approving, neutral, or a technical term here.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “effeminate”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.