English → Latin
“effeminate” in Latin
effēminōto weaken or enervate; to make feminine or emasculateēmolliōto soften; to enervate; to (take) shelter behindmollissoft, delicate to the touch; pliant, flexible, supple; mild, tenderdēlicātusalluring, charming, delightful; voluptuous; soft, tender, delicate; effeminate, spoilt with indulgence
The English word effeminate itself goes back to Latin fēmina, through effēminātus.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
effeminate v.
TR., effeminare: emollire: deliciis frangere aliquem: nervos omnes mentis ac corporis frangere (Quint.).
INTR., effeminari; emolliri.
effeminate adj.
mollis: mollis et effeminatus: delicatus: homo vulsus (an effeminate dandy, who has plucked out his superfluous hairs; Quint., 2, 5, 12).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for effeminate?
- The usual Latin words for “effeminate” are effēminō, ēmolliō, mollis; also dēlicātus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.