decadent
/ˈdɛkədənt/adjective, noun
decadent is spelled D-E-C-A-D-E-N-T: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 27,462nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, decadent means “Characterized by moral or cultural decline” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in decadent?
| Letters | 8: D-E-C-A-D-E-N-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.1 times per million words; the 27,462nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is decadent?
Decadent appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 27,462nd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce decadent?
- /ˈdɛkədənt/
Decadent has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-decadent.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of decadent
- more decadent comparative
- most decadent superlative
- décadent
- decadents plural
- more décadent comparative
- most décadent superlative
- décadents plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does decadent mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Characterized by moral or cultural decline.
- 2
Luxuriously self-indulgent.
noun
- 1
A person affected by moral decay.
L. Douglas He had the fastidiousness, the preciosity, the love of archaisms, of your true decadent.
adjective
- 1
Alternative spelling of decadent.
noun
- 1
Alternative spelling of decadent.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Decadent in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does decadent come from?
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”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).