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
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
Is there any decorous way to acknowledge my failure to do so over the past few years and to express my regret?
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2025
At home, the atmosphere was decorous, curious, gentle; outside, the culture of the nineteen-fifties was tougher, valorizing war and papering over a darker, more furtive kind of violence.
—Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 25 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decorous
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
Is there any decorous way to acknowledge my failure to do so over the past few years and to express my regret?
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2025
At home, the atmosphere was decorous, curious, gentle; outside, the culture of the nineteen-fifties was tougher, valorizing war and papering over a darker, more furtive kind of violence.
—Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 25 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decorous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decorous
Adjective
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Everything here is just better — the way animals are treated, people are polite.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
2 Sep. 2025
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Of course, the only thing unique about Cluely’s sales pitch is its bluntness; plenty of other AI companies have been selling the same thing using more polite and socially acceptable language for years.—
Bryce Hoffman,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Armani, who had already introduced unstructured jackets for men and women, was part of the generation of designers who ushered in a less formal fashion era, one that would allow men and women to look refined without looking stuffy.—
Belinda Luscombe,
Time,
5 Sep. 2025
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The meeting took place on the sidelines of celebrations in Beijing to mark the anniversary of Japan's formal surrender in World War Two.—
USA Today,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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There is a duty of care not to use data for the sake of it, but rather to ensure that analysis stands up to proper scrutiny and scientific rigour where possible.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
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Leaving clean laundry in the dryer or hamper only puts off a chore until later, keeps clean clothes from its proper place, and also risks wrinkles or someone accidentally mistaking it for dirty laundry instead.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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At some schools, the general manager is a ceremonious one, given to a program’s famous alumnus who can help gin up interest and money.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
18 Aug. 2025
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Prior to kickoff in the game that marked the debut of the baby blue Riptide jersey, Inter Miami owners Jorge and Jose Mas officially welcomed De Paul with the same type of ceremonious presentation that was given in years past to the star foursome of Messi, Alba, Luis Suarez, and Sergio Busquets.—
Franco Panizo,
Miami Herald,
27 July 2025
Adjective
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Swag itself opened with a respectable 163,000 overall units back in July despite having few physical album sales since his physical units hadn’t shipped out yet.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Sep. 2025
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And at least Brentford’s human-rights record is respectable.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Cutely line them up along the mantel with candles or lanterns, or add them to a nice tray with a few jack-o’-lanterns.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
5 Sep. 2025
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The beef is tender, and the broth has that nice aromatic spice that is immediately soothing and associated with a classic beef noodle soup.—
Shindy Chen,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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On a scale of one to five, an average or satisfactory experience is a three.—
Shep Hyken,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
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Of those, six — including five children — are in satisfactory condition.—
NBC News,
NBC news,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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And of that 130, there are between 20 and 30 examples that are actually full spec, or still in their correct configuration.—
Victoria Gomelsky,
Robb Report,
2 Sep. 2025
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Perhaps Cleve is correct that the AI stack is wide enough, deep enough and varied enough to create opportunities for lots of different vertical and regional players.—
Jeremy Kahn,
Fortune,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Decorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decorous. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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