Decadent describes something very rich, luxurious, or self-indulgent, often in a way that seems excessive or morally weak.
It comes from French “décadent,” from Latin “decadentem,” the present participle of “decadere,” meaning “to fall down, decay.” It originally referred to cultural or moral decline before being used for overly rich pleasures.
Calling a dessert “decadent” is secretly calling it a little morally suspicious—so good it feels like a downfall. The word started as a warning about societies collapsing and ended up advertising fancy chocolate.
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