Effeminacy is a noun for the quality of being like what people have called “womanly,” when that word is aimed at a man. Older English used it for a man's looks, voice, clothes, or manners that did not match the hard, tough picture of a man that those writers wanted. It was almost never a compliment. People treated it as a fault: too soft, too pretty, too careful.

EffeminacyEffeminacy是個名詞 is a noun指的是 for the quality of being like what people have called "womanly"像大家說的「womanly（女性化）」那種特質, when that word is aimed at a man當這個詞用在男人身上時。Older English較早的英文 used it用這個字 for a man's looks, voice, clothes, or manners來指一個男人的外表、聲音、穿著或舉止 that did not match the hard, tough picture of a man that those writers wanted跟那些作者心中「硬漢」形象不符的。It它 was almost never a compliment幾乎從來不是稱讚。People有人 treated it as a fault把它當成缺點: too soft太柔、too pretty太漂亮、too careful太小心。

Though actually, the tidy dictionary line (“a man who looks or behaves like a woman”) is tidier than life. Plenty of men are gentle, like nice clothes, or cry, and that does not make them women — and plenty of women are not “soft” in the way the old insult pretends.

Though actually雖然事實上, the tidy dictionary line那句簡潔的字典解釋 ("a man who looks or behaves like a woman"「一個看起來或表現得像女人的男人」) is tidier than life比實際情況乾淨俐落多了。Plenty of men很多男人 are gentle很溫柔, like nice clothes喜歡好看的衣服, or cry或會哭, and而 that does not make them women這不代表他們是女人 — and而 plenty of women很多女人 are not "soft"也不是「soft（柔弱）」的 in the way the old insult pretends像那個舊侮辱詞假裝的那樣。

Today the word feels dated, and many people find it unkind or cruel, especially when it is used to police boys. You will still meet it in old novels, history, and essays about gender.

Today今天 the word這個字 feels dated讓人覺得過時, and而 many people很多人 find it unkind or cruel覺得它不友善甚至殘忍, especially when it is used to police boys尤其是用來管束男孩的時候。You你 will still meet it in old novels, history, and essays about gender還是會在舊小說、歷史書、談性別的文章裡遇到它。

It is a formal, loaded word, not a casual joke. If you need a kind description, say the person is gentle, or quiet, or not trying to look tough — do not reach for this noun.

It它 is a formal, loaded word是個正式、帶有負面意味的字, not a casual joke不是隨口開的玩笑。If you如果你 need a kind description需要一個友善的說法, say the person is gentle就說這個人很溫柔, or quiet或安靜, or not trying to look tough或不刻意裝強悍 — do not reach for this noun不要用這個名詞。