decent
1. socially or conventionally correct;
refined or virtuous (Freq. 3)
- from a decent family
- a nice girl
• Syn:
nice
• Similar to:
respectable
• Derivationally related forms:
niceness (for: nice), decency
2. according with custom or propriety (Freq. 1)
- her becoming modesty
- comely behavior
- it is not comme il faut for a gentleman to be constantly asking for money
- a decent burial
- seemly behavior
• Syn:
becoming, comely, comme il faut, decorous, seemly
• Similar to:
proper
• Derivationally related forms:
seemliness (for: seemly), decorum (for: decorous), decorousness (for: decorous), decency, becomingness (for: becoming)
3. conforming to conventions of sexual behavior
- "speech in this circle, if not always decent, never became lewd"- George Santayana
• Ant:
indecent
• See Also:
clean, unobjectionable, decorous, proper
• Derivationally related forms:
decency
4. sufficient for the purpose
- an adequate income
- the food was adequate
- a decent wage
- enough food
- food enough
• Syn:
adequate, enough
• Similar to:
sufficient
• Derivationally related forms:
enough (for: enough), adequateness (for: adequate)
5. decently clothed
- are you decent?
• Similar to:
modest
• Usage Domain:
colloquialism
6. observing conventional sexual mores in speech or behavior or dress
- a modest neckline in her dress
- though one of her shoulder straps had slipped down, she was perfectly decent by current standards
• Similar to:
modest
• Derivationally related forms:
decency
in the right manner (Freq. 1)
- please do your job properly!
- can't you carry me decent?
• Syn:
properly, decently, in good order, right, the right way
• Ant:
improperly (for: properly)
• Derived from adjective:
proper (for: properly)
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