What does effeminateness mean?
Effeminateness is a formal noun denoting the state or quality of being effeminate — that is, displaying characteristics, mannerisms, or appearance traditionally associated with women, particularly when attributed to a man. It is formed straightforwardly from the adjective 'effeminate' plus the suffix '-ness', and it functions as a longer, rarer alternative to the much more common word 'effeminacy'. In practice, you will encounter it mainly in literary, historical, or academic prose: Victorian essayists, for example, frequently invoked effeminateness when criticizing male fashion, refined speech, or perceived delicacy. The word is heavily colored by older gender norms; for centuries it was used pejoratively to imply weakness or a failure of masculinity, a usage now widely seen as dated and unfair. Modern writers who need the concept usually prefer 'effeminacy', reserving effeminateness for stylistic variety or deliberate emphasis.
nounThe quality or state of being effeminate; the possession of traits, manners, or appearance traditionally regarded as characteristic of women, especially when displayed by a man.
- The quality of having traits conventionally associated with women, especially in a man's manner, voice, dress, or bearing.
- Weakness or softness of character regarded figuratively as unmanly (a dated, judgmental sense).
"Victorian critics attacked Oscar Wilde's dandyism as effeminateness, mistaking elegance for weakness."
"His critics sneered at the effeminateness of his silks and perfumes, never suspecting how formidable he was."
"In older novels, any hint of effeminateness in a male character was often used to signal moral frailty."
Almost never pluralized; the word is an abstract mass noun used in the singular.
Effeminateness is essentially 'effeminacy' wearing its Sunday best — same Latin root, same meaning, but so rarely used that even spellcheckers raise an eyebrow.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of effeminateness
Effeminateness derives from the adjective 'effeminate', which comes from Latin 'effeminatus', the past participle of 'effeminare', meaning 'to make feminine' — from 'ex-' ('out of') and 'femina' ('woman'). English borrowed 'effeminate' from Latin via Old French in the late Middle Ages, and the noun suffix '-ness' was added to form this abstract noun. It shares its root with related words such as 'effeminacy', 'feminine', and 'female', all ultimately tracing back to the Latin 'femina'.
Related word forms
How effeminateness is actually used
Formal and literary rather than everyday; the shorter synonym 'effeminacy' is strongly preferred in modern usage. The word carries historically negative connotations tied to traditional gender norms, so it should be used with care in contemporary writing.
Easily confused with effeminateness
Effeminacy is the far more common word for the same quality; effeminateness is a longer, less frequent synonym built directly from the adjective 'effeminate'.