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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of decent
The plastic will need to remain in place for most of summer to achieve decent control.
—
Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2025
Our tester, who can’t go without decent cushioning thanks to foot surgery a decade ago, gave them a five out of five in the comfort department.
—Alyssa Grabinski, People.com, 21 June 2025
And second, the pandemic severely disrupted the global economy soon after Trump’s tariffs took effect, preventing economists from getting a decent picture of how significantly prices rose.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 20 June 2025
Sales were decent, too, with more than one million copies shifted per year at the height of what quickly became a phenomenon.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 7 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for decent
Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 22 June 2025
Our tester, who can’t go without decent cushioning thanks to foot surgery a decade ago, gave them a five out of five in the comfort department.
—Alyssa Grabinski, People.com, 21 June 2025
And second, the pandemic severely disrupted the global economy soon after Trump’s tariffs took effect, preventing economists from getting a decent picture of how significantly prices rose.
—David Goldman, CNN Money, 20 June 2025
Sales were decent, too, with more than one million copies shifted per year at the height of what quickly became a phenomenon.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 7 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for decent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decent
Adjective
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Nevertheless, nice to get an explanation for why Vondrousova has been invisible.—
James Hansen,
New York Times,
21 June 2025
-
Many of these gardens are free or cheap to visit, giving you another option to go somewhere and get outside when the weather is nice while saving some money.—
Joseph Hernandez,
Kansas City Star,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
But the film’s pulse-pounding excitement is merely a feint to suggest how the rush for vengeance — no matter how justified — only brings about more killing, dragging down honorable intentions and leaving blood on everyone’s hands.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
20 June 2025
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Milk was forced to resign from the Navy and receive an other than honorable discharge.—
Al Weaver,
The Hill,
5 June 2025
Adjective
-
Hollywood studios and craftspeople may be busy agonizing over the proper role of AI’s potential within the film industry, but Chinese studios aren’t slowing down.—
Mathew Scott,
HollywoodReporter,
19 June 2025
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Most interesting is Cane’s prim and proper wife, Peyton (Danielle Campbell).—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
19 June 2025
Adjective
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As Electrek points out, the E-VO isn't a pure Honda product.—
Utkarsh Sood
June 29,
New Atlas,
29 June 2025
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Add in the pure creativity and skill of Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat (legit competitors in their own rights, albeit in smaller bodies), and the two-way play of Dylan Larkin and Nate Danielson, and the future forward lineup starts to look pretty balanced.—
Max Bultman,
New York Times,
29 June 2025
Adjective
-
Having witnessed her own mother’s struggle to access adequate care, Lesly believes that reshaping healthcare to be more equitable will not only meet societal needs but also provide new generations of healthcare professionals with fulfilling roles that endure.—
Glenn Llopis,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2025
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Those living in older apartments lack shelter Around half of the nighttime residents at the train station are foreign workers, who frequently live in older apartment buildings that are often not equipped with adequate shelters.—
Melanie Lidman,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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My advice is to conduct an honest assessment of your team's capabilities relative to migration requirements.—
AJ Bubb,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
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Ananda Lewis’ voice cut through silence like light through mist—bold, unwavering, and luminously honest.—
Essence,
Essence,
23 June 2025
Adjective
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Invest in educator training that moves beyond basic tool familiarity to pedagogical integration and ethical considerations.—
Sarah Hernholm,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
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Such governance will likely include public data trusts, ethical review boards, and inclusive policy-making processes—all of which emphasize collective rather than individualistic solutions.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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Padilla ordinarily is a very polite guy, extraordinary civil — calm, soft-spoken, the opposite of an aggressive loudmouth.—
George Skelton,
Mercury News,
18 June 2025
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Gentle readers often ask Miss Manners how to respond to questions put to them for which there does not appear to be any polite answer.—
Judith Martin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decent. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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