1
as in polite
following the established traditions of refined society and good taste
we were asked to be on our most decorous behavior at the formal event
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in formal
marked by or showing careful attention to set forms and details
the oppressively decorous standards of a royal court
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of decorous
The teenager, who spoke in hushed, decorous bursts, had months earlier shot rats near a friend’s camp in Manchac, dressed the carcasses (an intricate process, given the animal’s size), and frozen their haunches.
—
Nathaniel Rich, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Their decorous representations of the war and republic are reassuring, especially to modern eyes, in their romanticized heroism.
—Literary Hub, 17 July 2025
Instead, they are selected and rearranged to form a narrative of gradual debasement: a semantic descent from the decorous to the vulgar, often ending with crude references to the body.
—Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 May 2025
Aside from a series of gruesome martyr scenes frescoed on the interior wall of the second ring in the late 16th century, the decor reflects late Imperial taste for decorous abstraction and costly materials.
—The New York Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decorous
Nathaniel Rich, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Their decorous representations of the war and republic are reassuring, especially to modern eyes, in their romanticized heroism.
—Literary Hub, 17 July 2025
Instead, they are selected and rearranged to form a narrative of gradual debasement: a semantic descent from the decorous to the vulgar, often ending with crude references to the body.
—Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 May 2025
Aside from a series of gruesome martyr scenes frescoed on the interior wall of the second ring in the late 16th century, the decor reflects late Imperial taste for decorous abstraction and costly materials.
—The New York Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decorous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decorous
Adjective
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The 2025 study showed that when users dropped the polite fluff and went straight to the point, ChatGPT's accuracy ticked upward.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
21 Oct. 2025
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And while offering to help clean up is polite, Jokilehto says there’s a right way to do it.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Southern Living,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Kabul wants to boost cooperation with an India that is also at odds with Pakistan, and as the Taliban continues to seek formal international recognition as the government of Afghanistan.—
Happymon Jacob,
Time,
16 Oct. 2025
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The company contested the findings and eventually reached a formal settlement, OSHA records show.—
Isabel Rosales,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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October marks the proper start of fall, and there’s no better time to plan an autumnal getaway—luckily, Amazon is overflowing with deals on everything from cozy layers to lightweight weekenders, plus hiking gear that can handle the crisp mornings.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Oct. 2025
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The tour ended at a ranch, where we were greeted with cold towels, bottled water and a proper Vincy breakfast—a reward that made the early wake-up worth it.—
Essence,
Essence,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The extended ovation following Kershaw’s ceremonious exit in the top of the fifth preceded the uncontrollable catharsis of Shohei Ohtani’s go-ahead home run in the bottom of the fifth, a three-run shot that pierced the Giants’ soul.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
20 Sep. 2025
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Today is the eleven year anniversary of the release of Destiny, perhaps not as ceremonious as last year’s tenth anniversary, one that did not end the series, but Bungie presses on.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The latter is a more digestible story for the public, and now the news of an engagement is the most respectable outcome in a time when a Coldplay affair haunted us for weeks.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
14 Oct. 2025
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The results are respectable given budgetary limits.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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This one, for example, has fun detailing on the sleeves and a nice roomy fit that looks as comfortable as a sweatshirt.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
PEOPLE,
17 Oct. 2025
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Bills come due, eventually, in every sense, though reported name, image and likeness earnings nearing $2 million at Utah are a nice buffer.—
Brian Hamilton,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Overall, the sound quality is comparable to that of a basic Bluetooth speaker—more than satisfactory for an AIO PC.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
15 Oct. 2025
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According to a poll conducted by the company, eight out of 10 users were happy with the experience, while another one in five described it as satisfactory.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The pool of possible questions was raised to 128, and the requirement for correct answers raised to 12 out of 20 asked.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
21 Oct. 2025
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Most restaurants correct violations at the time of the original inspection or shortly after.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
21 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decorous. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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