Words starting with D Flashcards
dais
a low platform
daub
spread crudely or roughly on a surface
dearth
a lack, scarcity
debauch
example: an endless amount of dearth wine and expensive cheese debauched the traveller
to corrupt morally, by means of sensual pleasure
debilitated
to weaken, enfeeble or enervate
debonair
carefree, cheerful and self-assured
debunk
to expose the falseness of a claim
decadence
moral or cultural deterioration
deciduous
fleeting, transitory
declaim
speak or utter rhetorically
decorum (n.) or decorous (adj.)
socially appropriate o or proper
seemliness or propriety
decry
to criticize openly, disparage or belittle
deference
courteous regard, respect
defile
to make unclean, impure
deft
Having worked in a bakery for many years, marcus was a deft bread maker
skillful, capable
deign
think fit, condescend
deleterious
she experienced the deleterious effects of running a marathon without stretching before hand
harmful to the mind or body
delineate
to describe, outline, shed light on
sentence: she delineated why the project should stop receiving funding.
demean
to lower the status or stature of something
demeanor
outward behavior or bearing
demure
quiet, modest, reserved, coy
Despite the lively ambience at the party, Cathy remained demure and did not socialise at all
demur
raise scruples or object to
John demurred the ridiculous policy that would belittle his firm
denigrate
to disparage or defame the reputation of of a person
The company decided that its advertisements would no longer denigrate its competitors
denouement
the final unravelling of a plot or complicated situation
deprave
to pervert or corrupt
depravity
a moral corruption, wickedness
the ogre’s depravity made children timorous to enter the forest
deprecate
express disapproval of or a wish against
deride
to laugh at mockingly, scorn
the bullies at school derided the foreign student’s french accent
desecrate
to violate the sacredness of a thing or place
desolate
deserted, dreary, lifeless
desist
to prevent or stop
despot
an absolute ruler
destitute
completely impoverished
dialectic
logical disputation
diapohonous
Sunlight poured in through the diaphanous curtains
light and airy, transparent
diatribe
a forceful verbal attack
defalcate
to embezzle funds that someone has been entrusted with
sentence: she was fired for defalcating over a million dollars of public funds.
defunct
no longer used or existing
sentence: they planned to turn the defunct schoolhouse into a community center
denounce
to publicly condemn or criticise
deplore
to feel or express sorrow or disapproval
sentence: John deplored his wife’s poor working conditions
despoil
to rob or plunder
the thieves entered the house, and despoiled all its contents before the denizens realised
desultory
wandering from subject to subject half-heartedly
the desultory conversation faded away because it served no purpose
dicker
the man dickered with trader perpetually because he wanted an item, but was not willing to pay merely as much as the trader asked.
didactic
instructive or overly moralistic
diffident
shy, modest reserved
the diffident youth remained silent whilst eating dinner with all the adults, for fear of seeming presumptuous
dilatory
tending to delay or causing delay.
the dictator’s dilatory actions resulted in him being deposed from his authoritative position
dirge
a song or hymn usually played or performed at a funeral
disaffected
rebellious, resentful of authority
The parents sent their disaffected son to military school to teach him a good lesson.
discern
to perceive, detect
Even though John tried to hide his emotions, Cathy discerned from his body language that he was furious.
disavow
to deny knowledge of or responsibility for
discomfit
feel uneasy or embarrassed
disconsolate
very unhappy and unable to be comforted
discrete
individually separate or distinct
discretion
the quality of behaving or speaking in such a way as to avoid causing offence or revealing confidential information
discursive
rambling, lacking order and wandering
Sentence: The professor’s lectures seemed to be discursive: they covered all topics except the one originally planned for
disdain
- to scorn or hold low in self-esteem
Sentence: After learning about his immoral actions, John held Lawerence in disdain
disgruntled
to feel upset, not content
disheartened
low on spirit or moral
disheveled
untidy
disinter
to uncover or dig up
disinterested
not influenced by considerations of personal advantage
Sentence: A banker is obliged to give disinterested advice
disparage
to criticise or speak ill off
disparate
sharply differing or contrasting
dispel
to drive away, scatter
Sentence: She dispelled the rumours suggesting that she had been fired by entering office on Monday
dissemble
to conceal or hide
disseminate
to spread widely
Sentence: The presidential candidate disseminated his ideas across the country prior to the elections
dissident
disagreeing
distend
to swell out, expand or stretch
His stomach distended as a result of drinking excessively
dither
to be indecisive or confused about
diurnal
daily
divulge
to reveal or to make known
Pressured by the people, the government divulged on previously undisclosed information pertaining to a scandal
docile
submissive, easily taught or trained
Sentence: The circus company found it easy to teach the docile lion about the tricks it needed to perform
dogged
having or showing tenacity and grim persistence
dogmatic
aggressively or arrogantly certain about something
seNTENCE: John’s dogmatic claim that men are better than women at fixing appliances angered women in society
dolorous
mournful, sad
donnybrook
a heated argument
doughty
courageous;worthy
dour
stern or joyless
sentence: The children were afraid of the dour man living next door because he would seize their toys if they were loud and boisterous
downtrodden
trampled on, suppressed by people in power
drivel
talk nonsense: The soldier drivelled about his past experiences during the war
drudgery
hard work that is tiresome
Sentence: The gardener realised that cleaning the huge garden was domestic drudgery
duplicity
crafty dishonesty, double dealing
duress
hardship, threaten
