decadent C2+ Topic:Cause, Change & Process US /ˈdɛkədənt/ UK /ˈdekədənt/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 adj characterized by decline or luxurious self-indulgence They served a decadent chocolate dessert. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 adj · characterized by decline or... degeneratecorruptdissolutedebauchedself-indulgentdecayingeffetehedonistic ↔ Opposites virtuousasceticausterewholesomeflourishing Word family Derived forms decadentlydecadentism Related forms decadencedecay Etymology AI details From French décadent, from Late Latin decadens, present participle of decadere ('to fall down, decay'), from de- ('down') plus cadere ('to fall'). decadere Latin cadere Latin View etymology graph -> Topics Cause, Change & Process Word Formation & Derivatives External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # decadent **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** adj **IPA (US):** /ˈdɛkədənt/ **IPA (UK):** /ˈdekədənt/ ## Meanings 1. characterized by decline or luxurious self-indulgence ## Examples - They served a decadent chocolate dessert. ## Synonyms - degenerate - corrupt - dissolute - debauched - self-indulgent - decaying - effete - hedonistic ## Antonyms - virtuous - ascetic - austere - wholesome - flourishing ## Derived Forms - decadently - decadentism ## Related Forms - decadence - decay ## Roots and Affixes - Root: decadere - Root: cadere ## Etymology From French décadent, from Late Latin decadens, present participle of decadere ('to fall down, decay'), from de- ('down') plus cadere ('to fall'). ## AI Etymology Decadent is from French décadent, from Late Latin decadens, present participle of decadere ('to fall down, decay'), from de- ('down') plus cadere ('to fall'). The ancestry passes through Latin decadere and Latin cadere. The prefix de- often marks removal, reversal, or downward motion in Latin formations, helping to explain the word's surface structure. In present use as adjective and noun, it means "characterized by decline or luxurious self-indulgence", keeping the historical formation close to the word's ordinary semantic work. Related words include decadence and decay; derived forms include decadently and decadentism. ## Topics - Cause, Change & Process - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown