decadent
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.extremely rich, delicious, or fancy in a way that feels like a guilty pleasure.
adj.characterised by or reflecting a state of luxurious self-indulgence. Often used in modern contexts to describe rich food or lifestyle choices.
Simple“We enjoyed a decadent chocolate cake with three layers of rich cream.”
In context“The hotel offered a decadent weekend package, complete with champagne breakfasts and private spa treatments overlooking the Mediterranean.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
adj.having low moral standards or showing a lack of interest in serious things.
adj.characterised by or reflecting a state of moral or cultural decline. Often used in historical or sociological critiques of wealthy societies.
Simple“Some historians believe the empire became decadent and weak before it finally fell.”
In context“The critic argued that the city's decadent nightlife was a symptom of a deeper social collapse.”
- 03 C2 Proficiency
n.a person who lives a life of luxury and has low moral standards.
n.a person who is considered to be in a state of moral or cultural decay. Frequently used in a historical context to refer to nineteenth-century artists and writers.
Simple“The old king was seen as a decadent who cared only for his own comfort.”
In context“The salon was a gathering place for the city's most famous decadents, who rejected traditional social values in favour of aesthetic pleasure.”
Synonymshedonistsybarite
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”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.