decent

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de·cent

(dē′sənt)

adj.

a. Characterized by conformity to recognized standards of propriety or morality: a respected citizen who led a decent life; children brought up in decent homes.

b. Morally upright; moral or respectable: "the corruption that allows the unscrupulous to grow rich while decent people labor to earn an honest wage" (Amitav Ghosh).

c. Kind or obliging: very decent of them to lend you money.

d. Showing thoughtfulness or consideration: let a decent interval go by before calling.

2. Free from indelicacy or obscenity; clean: decent television programming for children.

3. Fairly good; acceptable; satisfactory: finally got a decent night's sleep; made decent wages in the new job.

a. Suitable; fitting: had nothing decent to wear to the reception.

b. Informal Properly or modestly dressed: The guests are here—are you decent?

[Latin decēns, decent-, present participle of decēre, to be fitting; see dek- in Indo-European roots.]

de′cent·ly adv.

de′cent·ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

decent

(ˈdiːsənt)

adj

1. polite or respectable: a decent family.

2. proper and suitable; fitting: a decent burial.

3. conforming to conventions of sexual behaviour; not indecent

4. free of oaths, blasphemy, etc: decent language.

5. good or adequate: a decent wage.

6. informal kind; generous: he was pretty decent to me.

7. informal sufficiently clothed to be seen by other people: are you decent?.

[C16: from Latin decēns suitable, from decēre to be fitting]

ˈdecently adv

ˈdecentness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

de•cent

(ˈdi sənt)

adj.

1. conforming to the recognized standard of propriety, as in behavior or speech.

2. respectable; worthy.

3. adequate; passable.

4. kind; obliging.

5. of reasonably attractive appearance.

[1485–95; < Latin decent-, s. of decēns fitting, present participle of decēre to be fitting; akin to decus honor]

de′cent•ly, adv.

de′cent•ness, n.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Adj.	1.	decent - socially or conventionally correct; refined or virtuous; "from a decent family"; "a nice girl" nice respectable - characterized by socially or conventionally acceptable morals; "a respectable woman"
	2.	decent - according with custom or propriety; "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" becoming, comely, comme il faut, seemly, decorous proper - marked by suitability or rightness or appropriateness; "proper medical treatment"; "proper manners"
	3.	decent - conforming to conventions of sexual behavior; "speech in this circle, if not always decent, never became lewd"- George Santayana unobjectionable, clean - (of behavior or especially language) free from objectionable elements; fit for all observers; "good clean fun"; "a clean joke" decorous - characterized by propriety and dignity and good taste in manners and conduct; "the tete-a-tete was decorous in the extreme" proper - marked by suitability or rightness or appropriateness; "proper medical treatment"; "proper manners" indecent - offensive to good taste especially in sexual matters; "an earthy but not indecent story"; "an indecent gesture"
	4.	decent - sufficient for the purpose; "an adequate income"; "the food was adequate"; "a decent wage"; "enough food"; "food enough" enough, adequate sufficient - of a quantity that can fulfill a need or requirement but without being abundant; "sufficient food"
	5.	decent - decently clothed; "are you decent?" colloquialism - a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech modest - not offensive to sexual mores in conduct or appearance
	6.	decent - 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" modest - not offensive to sexual mores in conduct or appearance
Adv.	1.	decent - in the right manner; "please do your job properly!"; "can't you carry me decent?" in good order, properly, the right way, decently, right

decent

adjective

1. satisfactory, average, fair, all right, reasonable, suitable, sufficient, acceptable, good enough, adequate, competent, ample, tolerable, up to scratch, passable, up to standard, up to the mark Nearby there is a village with a decent pub.
satisfactory unsatisfactory, inept

2. proper, becoming, seemly, fitting, fit, appropriate, suitable, respectable, befitting, decorous, comme il faut (French) They married after a decent interval.
proper incorrect, indecent, unsuitable, improper, unseemly, immodest

3. (Informal) good, kind, friendly, neighbourly, generous, helpful, obliging, accommodating, sympathetic, comradely, benign, gracious, benevolent, courteous, amiable, amicable, sociable, genial, peaceable, companionable, well-disposed Most people around here are decent folk.

4. respectable, nice, pure, proper, modest, polite, chaste, presentable, decorous He wanted to marry a decent woman.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

decent

adjective

1. Conforming to accepted standards:

becoming, befitting, comely, comme il faut, correct, decorous, de rigueur, nice, proper, respectable, right, seemly.

2. Not lewd or obscene:

clean, modest, wholesome.

3. Being what is needed without being in excess:

adequate, comfortable, competent, enough, satisfactory, sufficient.

4. Of moderately good quality but less than excellent:

acceptable, adequate, all right, average, common, fair, fairish, goodish, moderate, passable, respectable, satisfactory, sufficient, tolerable.

Informal: OK, tidy.

5. Morally beyond reproach, especially in sexual conduct:

chaste, modest, nice, pure, virgin, virginal, virtuous.

6. Informal. Proper in appearance:

presentable, respectable.

Translations

حَسَن، مُرْضٍلائِق، مُحْتَشَممُحْتَرَممُهَذَّب، لَطيف

ucházejícíslušný

anstændigordentlig

anständig sittsam annehmbar

αξιοπρεπής συμπαθής

decente adecuado amable

kunnollinen

convenable décent

pristojan

sæmandisanngjarn, velviljaîursiîsamur, háttvís

decente decenza decoro gentile onesto

きちんとした

신분에 맞는

gana malonusgana padoruspadoriaipadorumas

apmierinošspiedienīgspieklājīgspietiekams

fatsoenlijk

anstendig likendes skikkelig snill sømmelig

przyzwoity

decente

пристойный

dostojenspodoben

hygglig

เหมาะสม

doğru dürüst dürüst edepli tatmin ediciterbiyeli

nghiêm chỉnh

体面的像样的合乎礼仪的正派的

decent

[ˈdiːsənt] ADJ

1. (= respectable) [person, house] → decente; (= proper) [clothes, behaviour, language] → decoroso, decente
are you decent? (hum) → ¿estás visible?

2. (= kind) → amable
he was very decent to me → fue muy amable conmigo, se portó muy bien conmigo
he's a decent sort → es buena persona

3. (= passable) [salary, meal] → adecuado, decente
a decent sum → una cantidad considerable

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

decent

[ˈdiːs^ənt] adj

(= of a reasonable standard) → convenable
a decent education → une éducation convenable

(= appropriate) → convenable
as soon as it was decent → dès que le moment convenable se présenta

[interval] → suffisant(e)
After a decent interval, relations returned to normal → Après une trêve suffisante, les relations ont repris leur cours normal.
as soon as a decent amount of time has elapsed → dès qu'il se sera écoulé suffisamment de temps

(= honest) [person] → honnête
a decent chap → un honnête type
The jury will see what a decent guy he is → Le jury va voir que c'est un honnête type.
The majority of them are decent people → La majorité d'entre eux sont d'honnêtes gens.
You have the support of all decent people → Tous les honnêtes gens sont avec toi.
to do the decent thing (= behave honourably) → agir comme il se doit

(= kind) → chic
They were very decent about it → Ils se sont montrés très chics.
that was very decent of him → c'était très chic de sa part

(= dressed) → présentable
Are you decent? → Es-tu présentable?

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

decent

adj (all senses) → anständig; are you decent? (inf) → bist du schon salonfähig? (inf); to do the decent thing → das einzig Anständige tun; it was decent of you to come → es war sehr anständig von Ihnen zu kommen; to give somebody a decent burial → jdn ordentlich begraben

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

decent

[ˈdiːs/ənt] adj

a. (respectable, person, house) → perbene inv, ammodo inv; (proper, clothes, behaviour, language) → decente

b. (kind) → gentile, bravo/a
he was very decent to me → si è comportato molto bene con me
to do the decent thing → fare quello che è giusto
they were very decent about it → sono stati molto corretti in merito

c. (satisfactory, meal, house) → decente, discreto/a

decent

(ˈdiːsnt) adjective

1. fairly good; of fairly good quality. a decent standard of living.

2. kindly, tolerant or likeable. He's a decent enough fellow.

3. not vulgar or immoral; modest. Keep your language decent!

ˈdecency noun

(the general idea of) what is proper, fitting, moral etc; the quality or act of being decent. In the interests of decency, we have banned nude bathing; He had the decency to admit that it was his fault.

ˈdecently adverb

in a manner acceptable to the general idea of what is proper or suitable. You're not going out unless you're decently dressed.

decent

→ مُحْتَرَم ucházející anstændig anständig αξιοπρεπής decente kunnollinen décent pristojan decente きちんとした 신분에 맞는 fatsoenlijk anstendig przyzwoity decente пристойный hygglig เหมาะสม uygun nghiêm chỉnh 像样的

decent

a. decente.

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

In beauty, that of favor, is more than that of color; and that of decent and gracious motion, more than that of favor.

View in context

Bradley Headstone, in his decent black coat and waistcoat, and decent white shirt, and decent formal black tie, and decent pantaloons of pepper and salt, with his decent silver watch in his pocket and its decent hair-guard round his neck, looked a thoroughly decent young man of six-and-twenty.

View in context

"I will take the management of the prisons," said a Decent Respect for Public Opinion, "and make a radical change."

View in context

But there are other things which a man is afraid to tell even to himself, and every decent man has a number of such things stored away in his mind.

View in context

Already the coffin was standing in their midst--a plain but decent shell which had been bought ready-made.

View in context

The men who worked on the killing beds would come to reek with foulness, so that you could smell one of them fifty feet away; there was simply no such thing as keeping decent, the most careful man gave it up in the end, and wallowed in uncleanness.

View in context

Naseby is of course a large proprietor in our neighbourhood; but fidelity to facts, decent feeling, and English grammar, are all of them qualities more important than the possession of land.

View in context

You don't want me to tell you that a decent excuse for having a row with this old Johnny is about the best thing that could happen to you.

View in context

"How base and mean must that woman be, how void of that dignity of mind, and decent pride, without which we are not worthy the name of human creatures, who can bear to level herself with the lowest animal, and to sacrifice all that is great and noble in her, all her heavenly part, to an appetite which she hath in common with the vilest branch of the creation!

View in context

Arrayed in decent black; occupying a conspicuous pulpit; intent on bible leaves; what a candidate for an archbishoprick, what a lad for a Pope were this mincer!

View in context

I pictured their lives, troubled by no untoward adventure, honest, decent, and, by reason of those two upstanding, pleasant children, so obviously destined to carry on the normal traditions of their race and station, not without significance.

View in context

There was a dramatist whose name of late had been much heard at Heidelberg, and the winter before one of his plays had been given at the theatre amid the cheers of adherents and the hisses of decent people.