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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word decent distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of decent are chaste, modest, and pure. While all these words mean "free from all taint of what is lewd or salacious," modest and decent apply especially to deportment and dress as outward signs of inward chastity or purity.

preferred more modest swimsuits
decent people didn't go to such movies

When is chaste a more appropriate choice than decent?

The meanings of chaste and decent largely overlap; however, chaste primarily implies a refraining from acts or even thoughts or desires that are not virginal or not sanctioned by marriage vows.

they maintained chaste relations

How do pure and chaste relate to one another, in the sense of decent?

Pure differs from chaste in implying innocence and absence of temptation rather than control of one's impulses and actions.

the pure of heart

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of decent But your sons and daughters have a decent shot to see the day. Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2025 There’s a decent number of good Charlie moments here, including the Timothée Chalamet beat, but my favorite might be his wordlessly handing Sylvia her glass of wine from the table after an especially uncomfortable interaction. Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2025 The multi-core Cinebench score was lower than expected, with all rivals pulling ahead, and its HandBrake video transcoding time was slower than most, though still decent. Brian Westover, PC Magazine, 5 Aug. 2025 Jimenez is a decent prospect to send to a division foe in exchange for a rental pitcher and a glorified project in Dobnak. Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 29 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for decent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decent
Adjective
  • Both Trejo and Crowley rode in the 2025 Centennial Tucson Rodeo, a nice mirroring of the agency’s own 100-year history.
    Suzanne Wright, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2025
  • The in-between woman has a nice corporate job in a nice corporate office.
    Weike Wang, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Just continue to guide your daughter toward honorable behavior.
    Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 4 Aug. 2025
  • Law enforcement really is an honorable profession that serves the community at whole very well.
    Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The suit claims the school failed to provide proper protective equipment and training to Wei.
    John Wisely, Freep.com, 18 Aug. 2025
  • To get the cast and crew in the proper headspace for filming the crime thriller, Caron hosted a Portland-area screening of John Cassavetes’ Gloria (1980).
    Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Adeleye was outclassed from a pure boxing standpoint, but his heart was on display.
    Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
  • The shot was clean with a bold recovery, just like a pure Mickelson moment.
    Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Consequently, using traditional detect-and-respond reactive security tools is no longer an adequate defensive strategy.
    Will Townsend, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
  • The Department of Homeland Security was planning to deport people apprehended on U.S. soil to third countries, often without adequate procedures or legal justifications.
    Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Creatively, the book features specific talking points to spark transparent and honest conversations.
    Essence, Essence, 7 Aug. 2025
  • The project intends to empower Californians to engage in honest discussions, according to its mission statement.
    Amelia Wu, Sacbee.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • As a result, many have already experienced issues such as privacy violations, systemic failures, inaccurate predictions, and ethical violations.
    Joe McKendrick, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
  • Improving transparency starts with a commitment to open communication, ethical leadership, and meaningful public engagement.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The pain of staying polite is losing the sale to someone bolder, faster, and clearer.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025
  • But each polite knockback and odd digression throws out at least one casually sublime spark.
    Jessica Kiang, Variety, 17 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Decent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decent. Accessed 24 Aug. 2025.

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