decent
Adjective · AdverbOpen English WordNet
Adjective (6)
- socially or conventionally correct; refined or virtuous“from a decent family”“a nice girl”Synonyms: niceOpposite unrespectableSimilar respectable
- in harmony with the spirit of particular persons or occasion“a decent burial”“we have come to dedicate a portion of that field … It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this”Synonyms: fittingOpposite improperSimilar proper
- conforming to conventions of sexual behavior“speech in this circle, if not always decent, never became lewd — George Santayana”Opposite indecentSee also clean, decorous, modest, proper
- sufficiently clothed to see visitors or appear in public“are you decent?”Opposite immodestSimilar modest
- observing conventional sexual mores in speech or behavior or dress“though one of her shoulder straps had slipped down, she was perfectly decent by current standards”Opposite immodestSimilar modest
- meeting requirements“the step makes a satisfactory seat”“I would kill for a decent cup of coffee”“a decent wage”Synonyms: satisfactoryacceptableOpposite badSimilar good
Adverb (1)
- in the right manner; correctly; suitably“please do your job properly!”“can't you carry me decent?”Synonyms: properlydecentlyrightOpposite improperlyFrom proper
What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz
Translations
Adjective showing integrity, fairness, moral uprightness
- Spanish
- decente
- French
- honnête
- German
- anständig
- Portuguese
- decente
- Turkish
- dürüst
- Russian
- поря́дочный porjádočnyj
- Chinese
- 正派 zhèngpài
- Dutch
- fatsoenlijk
- Polish
- przyzwoity
- Swedish
- sedesam
14 more languages
- Greek
- κόσμιος kósmios
- Indonesian
- baik
- Vietnamese
- tử tế
- Hungarian
- tisztességes
- Portuguese (PT)
- decente
- Chinese (Trad.)
- 體面 tǐmiàn
- Czech
- slušný
- Danish
- anstændig
- Finnish
- säädyllinen
- Georgian
- წესიერი c̣esieri
- Norwegian
- anstendig
- Romanian
- decent
- Scottish Gaelic
- cothromach
- Slovenian
- spodoben
Adjective fairly good, adequate
- Spanish
- decente
- French
- décent
- Italian
- decente
- Portuguese
- decente
- Russian
- прили́чный prilíčnyj
- Polish
- niezły
- Swedish
- hyfsad
- Greek
- της προκοπής tis prokopís
- Vietnamese
- khá
- Hungarian
- tisztességes
6 more languages
- Portuguese (PT)
- decente
- Czech
- slušný
- Finnish
- kunnollinen
- Georgian
- წესიერი c̣esieri
- Scottish Gaelic
- cothromach
- Slovenian
- spodoben
The main translation for each meaning, from the langtolang.com multilingual dictionary. Each word links to its full entry there.
Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Origin: L. decens, decentis, p. pr. of decere to be fitting or becoming; akin to decus glory, honor, ornament, Gr. δοκεῖν to seem good, to seem, think; cf. Skr. dāç to grant, to give; and perh. akin to E. attire, tire: cf. F. décent. Cf. Decorate, Decorum, Deign.
1. Suitable in words, behavior, dress, or ceremony; becoming; fit; decorous; proper; seemly; as, decent conduct; decent language. William Shakespeare
Before his decent steps.— John Milton
2. Free from immodesty or obscenity; modest.
3. Comely; shapely; well-formed. archaic
A sable stole of cyprus lawn Over thy decent shoulders drawn.— John Milton
By foreign hands thy decent limbs composed.— Alexander Pope
4. Moderate, but competent; sufficient; hence, respectable; fairly good; reasonably comfortable or satisfying; as, a decent fortune; a decent person.
A decent retreat in the mutability of human affairs.— Edmund Burke
— De′wb-a1′>′cent·ly, adverb — De′wb-a1′>′cent·ness, noun
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54