1
a
: polite, moral, and honest
I don't understand how so decent a person could be involved with this kind of crime.
decent, hardworking people
He is a decent guy who would help anyone in need.
You need to do the decent thing and tell her what happened.
b
somewhat informal
: showing kindness : seeming to care about the feelings or problems of other people
It's really decent [=nice, thoughtful] of them to help us like this.
I apologized for the damage to his car, and he was pretty decent [=understanding] about it.
2
: good enough but not the best : adequate or acceptable
She's a decent [=fairly good] tennis player.
They can't afford decent [=adequate] housing.
Are there any decent schools in that area?
They served us a decent (enough) meal.
I've got to get some decent clothes.
He makes a decent living. = He has a job making/earning decent money.
a halfway decent [=pretty good] movie
3
: appropriate or suitable
I know you've got a lot to do, but try to get to bed at a decent hour. [=at a time that is not too late at night]
We were asked to wait a decent interval [=wait for an appropriate amount of time] before making the announcement.
4
: not using language that offends people : not including behavior or ideas that people commonly find offensive
Please keep your jokes decent—there are children in the room.
5
informal
: wearing enough clothes : wearing clothes that cover enough of your body so that you are not embarrassed if someone sees you
I can't come to the door right now—I'm not decent. Wait a minute, OK?
Can I come in? Are you decent?
Cite this Entry
“Decent.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/decent. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.
Copy Citation
