effeminacy
/ɪˈfemɪnəsi/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪˈfemɪnəsi/ (ame, ipa) · /ə-ˈfe-mə-nə-sē/ (ame, mw)
effeminacy — noun
1. a way of describing a man whose looks or behaviour are seen by others as similar
a way of describing a man whose looks or behaviour are seen by others as similar to what people think of as typical of a woman — this word nearly always expresses strong disapproval
The film critic used the word effeminacy to attack the actor’s performance in the love story.
collocation: accuse/attack for effeminacy
In the 19th century, novelists often accused fashionable men of effeminacy in their writing.
passive frame: accused of effeminacy
David’s grandfather believed that showing any emotion was a sign of effeminacy in a man.
The coach was criticized for his old-fashioned ideas about effeminacy and weakness in sports.
Accusations of effeminacy were commonly used against poets who wrote about love and beauty.
- femininity
refers to women or qualities associated with women generally, and can be neutral or positive; effeminacy is specific to men and always negative
- unmanliness
more direct but less common; focuses on the lack of stereotypically male qualities rather than the presence of female ones
- womanishness
old-fashioned and very rare; similar meaning but even more dated than effeminacy
- masculinity
the quality of having traits seen as typical of a man; generally neutral or positive
- manliness
positive term for qualities traditionally admired in men, such as strength or courage
文法句型
often preceded by accusations/sign/hint of effeminacy
用法筆記
Frequently found in historical or literary discussions of gender roles. The word is almost never used as a neutral description — it nearly always carries disapproval.