SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
effeminate
adjective
Traditionally describing a man or boy as having qualities considered feminine; often disparaging.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Traditionally labeled feminine
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topEffeminate and womanish can be disparaging when applied to men. Neutral descriptions name the actual manner or quality intended.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See effeminate in use
The critic questioned the narrator's use of the dated label effeminate.
The script uses effeminate in the landlord's speech to disparage a male musician whose gestures the landlord regards as feminine.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license