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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

Examples of decent in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web All in all, the game looks like a surprisingly decent, if generic, tactics game. Ash Parrish, The Verge, 30 Oct. 2024 This extra layer would also help reinforce the edges of the memory foam version to give it better edge support—there was a decent amount of sinkage, especially since the mattress is on the thinner side. Lindsay Boyers, Architectural Digest, 29 Oct. 2024 In late September, the film ignited to $35 million — decent for a new film property, but not spectacular — and has powered to $111 million domestically and $232 million globally after four weeks. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 29 Oct. 2024 No misses on any line and decent investment banking that will only get better as rates go lower. Jim Cramer, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for decent 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'decent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near decent

Cite this Entry

“Decent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decent. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on decent

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