Decadent Meaning
/ˈdɛkədənt/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjCharacterized by moral or cultural decline.
adjLuxuriously self-indulgent.
Sentence Examples
We had a decadent breakfast.
Some people like to dip marshmallows in chocolate or caramel for a decadent treat.
The truffle risotto at Benedito's restaurant is decadent.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The chef prepared a ____ chocolate cake for the party.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
We had a ____ breakfast.
Word Origin & History
From French décadent, a back-formation from décadence (see -ent), from Medieval Latin dēcadentia, from Late Latin dēcadēns, present participle of dēcadō, dēcidō (“sink, fall; perish”), from Latin dē- + cadō (“fall”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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."
— 1992, Gore Vidal, The Decline and Fall of the American Empire:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The chef prepared a ____ chocolate cake for the party.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
We had a ____ breakfast.