decadent

decadent
1. adjective /ˈdɛkədənt/
a) Characterized by moral or cultural decline.

As societies grow decadent, the language grows decadent, too. Words are used to disguise, not to illuminate, action: you liberate a city by destroying it. Words are to confuse, so that at election time people will solemnly vote against their own interests.

b) Luxuriously self-indulgent.

Surgery in an opera? How wonderfully decadent! And just as I was beginning to lose interest!

2. noun /ˈdɛkədənt/
A person affected by moral decay.
See Also: decadence, decay

Wikipedia foundation.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • décadent — décadent, ente [ dekadɑ̃, ɑ̃t ] adj. et n. • 1516, repris au XIXe; lat. médiév. decadens → décadence 1 ♦ Qui est en décadence. Période, époque décadente. Art décadent. Monarchie décadente. Peuple décadent. 2 ♦ (v. 1882) L école décadente : l… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • decadent — DECADÉNT, Ă, decadenţi, te, adj. 1. Care se găseşte în decadenţă, în declin. 2. Care prezintă caracterele decadentismului; propriu decadentismului. – Din fr. décadent. Trimis de claudia, 13.09.2007. Sursa: DEX 98  decadént adj. m., pl.… …   Dicționar Român

  • decadent — (adj.) in a state of decline or decay (from a former condition of excellence), 1837, from Fr. décadent, back formation from décadence (see DECADENCE (Cf. decadence)). In reference to literary (later, other artistic) schools that believed, or… …   Etymology dictionary

  • decadent — [dek′ə dənt; ] also [ di kād′ nt] adj. [Fr décadent: see DECADENCE] in a state of decline; characterized by decadence n. 1. a decadent person, esp. a writer or artist active in a period of decadence 2. [often D ] any of a group of late 19th cent …   English World dictionary

  • Decadent — De*ca dent, n. One that is decadent, or deteriorating; esp., one characterized by, or exhibiting, the qualities of those who are degenerating to a lower type; specif. applied to a certain school of modern French writers. The decadents and… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • décadent — décadent, ente (entrée créée par le supplément) (dé ka dan, dan t ) adj. Néologisme par latinisme individuel. Qui est en décadence. •   Entre un peuple décadent et, paraît il, épuisé, qui enfante encore de tels ouvrages, et des nations toutes… …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • Decadent — De*ca dent, a. Decaying; deteriorating. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • decadent — I adjective breaking down, cankered, corrosive, corrupt, crumbling, debauched, decaying, declining, decomposing, decrepit, degenerate, degenerating, depraved, deteriorated, deteriorating, dilapidated, disintegrating, effete, failing, falling,… …   Law dictionary

  • decadent — [adj] corrupt, self indulgent debased, debauched, decaying, declining, degenerate, degraded, depraved, dissolute, effete, evil, gone bad, gone to the dogs*, immoral, lost, moribund, overripe, perverted, wanton, wicked; concept 545 Ant. benevolent …   New thesaurus

  • decadent — ► ADJECTIVE 1) characterized by moral or cultural decline. 2) luxuriously self indulgent. DERIVATIVES decadence noun decadently adverb. ORIGIN French, from Latin decadentia; related to DECAY(Cf. ↑decay) …   English terms dictionary

  • decadent — decadently /dek euh deuhnt lee, di kayd nt /, adv. /dek euh deuhnt, di kayd nt/, adj. 1. characterized by decadence, esp. culturally or morally: a decadent life of excessive money and no sense of responsibility. 2. (often cap.) of or like the… …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”