1
as in nice
conforming to a high standard of morality or virtue
as decent and kind a couple as you could ever hope to meet
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in honorable
following the accepted rules of moral conduct
demanded nothing less than decent behavior by the troops serving overseas
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in proper
following the established traditions of refined society and good taste
decent clothing for someone attending a funeral, if only as a friend of a friend
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4
as in pure
free from any trace of the coarse or indecent
students were warned that their skits could be funny but still had to remain decent
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5
as in adequate
of a level of quality that meets one's needs or standards
he did a decent job on the project, but there's still room for improvement
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of decent
Based on the polling, Democrats have a decent shot.
—
W. James Antle Iii, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2025
Advertisement The genesis of their relationship, while not a total Hallmark movie plot, would make a decent pitch for one.
—Belinda Luscombe, Time, 3 Nov. 2025
The Tigers had a bye week, so Zollers got decent practice time as the starter.
—Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
These decoys are powered by AA batteries and have a decent run time of up to 10 hours.
—Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decent
W. James Antle Iii, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2025
Advertisement The genesis of their relationship, while not a total Hallmark movie plot, would make a decent pitch for one.
—Belinda Luscombe, Time, 3 Nov. 2025
The Tigers had a bye week, so Zollers got decent practice time as the starter.
—Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
These decoys are powered by AA batteries and have a decent run time of up to 10 hours.
—Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decent
Adjective
-
As the conversation turned to Haliburton, Antetokounmpo challenged Turner to say three nice things about his former All-Star point guard.—
Darnell Mayberry,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Even the fact that Refiberd doesn’t need a lot of financing to keep itself afloat because of the nature of its technology is a nice bit of happenstance.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
In 2021, the Vietnam Veterans of America presented Agnes with an award for her dedication, devotion and honorable military service.—
Bea L. Hines,
Miami Herald,
31 Oct. 2025
-
And unlike Hemingway, who tends to be fixated on honorable men thrust into, or just emerging from, Big Moments—frequently war—McGuane is interested in large-souled men in smaller moments.—
Tyler Austin Harper,
The Atlantic,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
When using hydrogen peroxide, wear protective gloves and eyewear to avoid irritation, ensure proper ventilation, and never mix it with bleach, ammonia, vinegar, or other cleaning agents.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Some of these technologies are essential for ensuring the proper functioning of the service or website and cannot be disabled, while others are optional but serve to enhance the user experience in various ways.—
Walden Green,
Pitchfork,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Such is life in Marthaland, where homemaking tasks are plucked from the realm of everyday drudgery and elevated to a pure pursuit of excellence.—
Hannah Goldfield,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
-
To this end, while the loss of two aircraft in short order seems suspicious, it could be explained through pure chance.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
One group was moved into a new building that lacked adequate lab space, another into a lab that lacked a functional climate control system.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Health inspectors gave the boba tea shop a yellow placard after employees failed to demonstrate adequate knowledge of proper warewashing and sanitizing procedures.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Non-perishable items or foods that last a long time in the fridge can be good options.—
Merve Ceylan,
Health,
26 Oct. 2025
-
The baby, who initially made good progress after the surgery, died 20 days later.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
His memoir is a patchy affair, to be honest, which omits entire swaths of his achievement, yet its wayward momentum exerts a certain charm, as if Hopkins were only just in control of his reminiscences.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
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Walks that resulted in us having the deepest, most honest and even the funniest conversations of our lives together.—
Louis Casiano , Janelle Ash,
FOXNews.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The listener is no longer an outsider from the polite world of public broadcasting, or podcasting, but a tired factory worker longing for relief.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
-
One that isn’t slurred together from such a familiar combination of backwater lawlessness, faux-polite menace, and profoundly sweaty animal metaphors.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decent. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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