decadent 1 of 2

adjective

ˈde-kə-dənt How to pronounce decadent (audio)
Definition of decadentnext
1
as in degenerate
having lost forcefulness, courage, or spirit social critics claimed that their culture had become decadent and weak

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2
as in corrupt
having or showing lowered moral character or standards opponents of gambling casinos claim that gambling is a decadent form of entertainment

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3
as in luxurious
given to or marked by excessive gratification of one's desires the impressionable heiress couldn't resist the decadent temptations of the jet-set life

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decadent

2 of 2

noun

1
as in pervert
a person who has sunk below the normal moral standard avant-garde artists who were scorned by the bourgeoisie as talentless decadents

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2
as in hedonist
a person whose life is devoted to luxury and sensual pleasures a decadent who squandered her once considerable family fortune

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of decadent
Adjective
The Ramos Gin Fizz thrives as the last extant representative of the category, like Macy’s Herald Square or modern day Vienna, a decadent and baroque monument to a once-vast empire. — Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 17 Oct. 2026 Swirls of caramel, cream, and espresso brown give classic tips a deliciously decadent upgrade, no barista required. — Amanda Le, InStyle, 16 Oct. 2026
Noun
But decadents only break taboos in a bloodless, symbolic way—they’re too lazy and refined for murder. — Olivia Kan-Sperling, Artforum, 2 May 2026 Hulu, May 15 The battle is back on in the second season of Rivals, the decadent, soapy ’80s ensemble drama led by David Tennant and Alex Hassell. — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 30 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for decadent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decadent
  1. degenerate
  2. corrupt
  3. luxurious
  4. pervert
  5. hedonist
  6. effete
  7. degraded
  8. sensual
Adjective
  • Anything that's going to make a candidate seem degenerate, seem corrupt, seem incapable.
    — Shannon Bond, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026
  • In Parkinson’s disease, neurons producing a chemical messenger called dopamine degenerate, and the dopamine itself cannot cross from the bloodstream into the brain.
    — Mallory Green, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of degenerate
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, Democrats are strongly opposed to the kind of corrupt authoritarian government that Republicans seem unwilling to even speak out against.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The policy aims to make cadres more disciplined, effective and less corrupt.
    — KANIS LEUNG, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of corrupt
Adjective
  • Zook Cabins The bathroom, by contrast, is comparatively luxurious.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Nike has released countless premium renditions of its beloved Air Max 95 sneaker over its three decades-plus on the market, but few are as luxurious as the aptly named Air Max 95 Lux.
    — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of luxurious
Noun
  • Hansen, who left NBC in 2013 but remains a leader in the pervert-ambushing space, has spoken about having considered a sting operation against Jeffrey Epstein in 2015.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2026
  • This blatant fealty over objectivity perverts the process by choosing personal loyalists instead of independent public servants.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of pervert
Noun
  • At 25, Myriam and Eva’s lives are not that different from any other young European hedonists.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 19 Sep. 2026
  • And what fame gave me, what addiction fueled was opportunity for endless consent, which led me to be a hedonist and a fool and an exploiter of women.
    — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2026
Definition of hedonist
Adjective
  • Republicans have sought to cast him as an effete extremist.
    — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 29 May 2026
  • Scarf critics accuse the accessory—and by extension, its wearers—of being effete or affected.
    — Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 1 Dec. 2025
Definition of effete
Adjective
  • Design choices previously thought to boost power, such as widening the gap between electrodes, actually degraded performance under true operating conditions.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Initially, Pike’s attorneys and several death penalty experts raised the possibility that the drugs may have been too old or degraded to work as intended.
    — Keri Blakinger, ProPublica, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of degraded
Adjective
  • The most sensual scene in the movie is actually a dance number at a public gathering where the two characters slowly sway and caress each other, much to the horror and confusion of the other townsfolk.
    — Whitney Friedlander, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
  • For 1937, which is dominated by shades of green, blue, khaki, and sand, Cobos looked to Claire Denis’s Beau Travail (1999), a sensual psychological drama about French Foreign Legionnaires in Djibouti.
    — Elaina Patton, Vogue, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of sensual

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Cite this Entry

“Decadent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decadent. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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