| Term | Definition |
|---|
| derogatory | expressing a low opinion; disparaging; V. derogate: detract; disparage |
| n descry | catch sight of (something distant) |
| desecrate | profane; violate the sanctity of |
| s violate | break (a law); defile; desecrate; assault sexually; Ex. violate graves |
| desiccate | dry up |
| desolate | (of a place) deserted; unpopulated; (of a person) lonely; forlorn; joyless |
| desolate | make desolate; forsake; abandon and desert |
| n desperado | reckless, desperate outlaw |
| s desperate | having lost all hope; despairing; reckless and violent because of loss of hope or despair; undertaken as a last resort |
| despise | look on with scorn; regard as worthless or distasteful; ADJ. despicable: contemptible |
| despoil | plunder; sack; Ex. despoil the village |
| despondent | without hope and courage; depressed; gloomy; N. despondency: loss of hope with gloom; dejection |
| despot | tyrant; harsh, authoritarian ruler; CF. despotism |
| destitute | extremely poor; lacking means of subsistence; utterly lacking; devoid; Ex. destitute of any experience |
| s impoverish | make poor; deprive of natural strength or something important; Ex. impoverished soil |
| desultory | aimless; haphazard; digressing at random |
| n detached | emotionally removed; free from emotional involvement; calm and objective; physically separate; N. detachment; CF. attachment |
| s detain | keep waiting; prevent from leaving or going; N. detention |
| n determinate | having a fixed order of procedure; precisely defined; invariable; fixed; conclusive; final |
| n determination | resolve; firmness of purpose; measurement or calculation; decision |
| deterrent | something that discourages or deters |
| detonation | explosion |
| detraction | slandering; aspersion; detracting; CF. detractor |
| detrimental | harmful; damaging; N. detriment |
| deviate | turn away from (a principle, norm); move away from an accepted standard; swerve; depart; diverge; N. deviation; Ex. deviation of the path of light by a prism |
| n devious | roundabout; erratic; deviating from the straight course; not straightforward; not completely honest; Ex. devious route |
| devise | think up; invent; plan; bequeath; N: bequest |
| devoid | empty; lacking |
| n devolve | deputize; pass or be passed to others (power, work, or property); Ex. devolve on/upon/to |
| s deputize | work or appoint as a deputy; N. deputy: person who has the power to take charge when the leading person is away |
| devotee | enthusiastic follower; enthusiast; Ex. devotee of Bach |
| devout | pious; deeply religious; sincere; earnest; Ex. my devout hope |
| dexterous | skillful; skill in using hands or mind; N. dexterity |
| diabolical | diabolic; devilish; fiendish |
| n diadem | crown |
| dialectical | relating to the art of debate; mutual or reciprocal; Ex. dialectical situation; N. dialectic: art of arriving at the truth by the exchange of logical arguments |
| diaphanous | sheer; transparent |
| n diatribe | bitter scolding or denunciation; invective; abuse |
| dichotomy | division into two opposite parts; split; branching into two parts (especially contradictory ones) |
| n dictum | authoritative and weighty statement (made by a judge in court); saying; maxim; CF. obiter dictum: incidental, nonbinding remark (something said in passing) |
| n didactic | (of speech or writing) intended to teach a moral lesson; teaching; instructional; N. didacticism |
| n die | metal block used for shaping metal or plastic; device for stamping or impressing; mold; CF. dice |
| diffidence | shyness; lack of self-confidence; timidity; ADJ. diffident |
| n diffuse | wordy; verbose; rambling; spread out (like a gas); V: spread out in all directions; disperse; N. diffusion; CF. suffuse |
| digression | wandering away from the subject; V. digress |
| dilapidated | falling to pieces; in a bad condition; ruined because of neglect; Ex. dilapidated old car/castle; N. dilapidation |
| dilate | expand; dilate on/upon: speak or write at length on (a subject) |
| dilatory | delaying; tending to delay |
| dilemma | situation that requires a choice between equally unfavorable options; problem; choice of two unsatisfactory alternatives |
| n dilettante | aimless follower of an art or a field of knowledge (not taking it seriously); amateur; dabbler; CF. delight |
| diligence | steadiness of effort; persistent hard work |
| dilute | make (a liquid) less concentrated; reduce in strength; Ex. dilute the influence of the president |
| diminution | lessening; reduction in size; V. diminish |
| din | continued loud noise; V: make a din; instill by wearying repetition |
| s weary | tired after long work; V. |
| n dinghy | small boat (often ship's boat) |
| s maroon | leave helpless on a deserted island or coast; ADJ. red brown |
| n dingy | (of things and place) dirty and dull; Ex. dingy street/curtain |
| s dull | (of colors or surfaces) not bright; cloudy; overcast; boring; (of edge or sound) not sharp; not rapid; sluggish; slow in thinking and understanding; stupid; V. |
| n dint | means; effort; Ex. by dint of hard work |
| n diorama | life-size, three-dimensional scene from nature or history; three-dimensional scene with modeled figures against a painted background; CF-Panorama |
| n dire | warning of disaster; disastrous; (of needs and dangers) very great; urgent; Ex. dire prediction/need of food |
| n dirge | funeral song; slow mournful piece of music (sung over a dead person) |
| disabuse | correct a false impression; undeceive; free from a wrong belief |
| n disaffected | disloyal; lacking loyality; V. disaffect: cause to lose affection or loyalty |
| disapprobation | disapproval; condemnation |
| n disarray | state of disorder; a disorderly or untidy state; Ex. with her clothes in disarray |
| n disavowal | denial; disclaiming; repudiating; disowning; V. disavow; CF. disclaim |
| n disband | dissolve; disperse; (of a group) break up and separate; Ex. The club has disbanded. |
| n disburse | pay out (as from a fund); N. disbursement; CF. purse |
| discernible | distinguishable; perceivable; Ex. discernible improvement |
| discerning | mentally quick and observant; having insight; perceptive; able to make good judgments; V. discern: perceive |
| n disclaim | disown; renounce claim to; deny; CF. disclaimer |
| disclose | reveal; N. disclosure |
| n discombobulated | discomposed; confused |
| s discompose | disturb the composure of; confuse |
| discomfit | frustrate; put to rout; defeat; disconcert; embarrass; perturb |
| n disconcert | confuse; upset; embarrass; perturb |
| disconsolate | hopelessly sad (at the loss of something) |
| discord | conflict; lack of harmony; dissonance (when musical notes are played) |
| discordant | not harmonious; conflicting |
| n discount | disregard; regard (a story or news) as unimportant; deduct from a cost |
| discourse | serious speech, writing, or conversation; formal discussion (either written or spoken); conversation; V. |
| discredit | defame; disgrace; destroy confidence in; disbelieve; N. CF. discreditable: causing discredit; shameful |
| discrepancy | lack of consistency or agreement as between facts; difference; Ex. discrepancy between two descriptions |
| discrete | separate; unconnected |
| discretion | prudence; ability to adjust actions to circumstances; freedom of action or judgment; ADJ. discreet; CF. discretionary |
| discriminating | able to see differences; discerning; prejudiced; N. discrimination |
| s discriminate | distinguish; make distinctions on the basis of preference |
| s brisk | quick and active; marked by liveliness and vigor |
| n discursive | (of a person or writing) digressing; rambling (without any clear plan) |
| disdain | treat with scorn or contempt |
| n disembark | debark; go ashore (from a ship); unload cargo from a ship; CF. embark |
| disenfranchise | disfranchise; deprive of a civil right; OP. enfranchise |
| n disengage | uncouple; separate; disconnect; stop fighting; OP. engage |
| disfigure | mar the appearance of; spoil |
| n disgorge | surrender something (stolen); eject; vomit; OP. gorge |
| n disgruntle | make discontented |
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