decent
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++de·cent /ˈdiːsənt/ ●●○ S3 adjective 1 GOOD ENOUGH[usually before noun] of a good enough standard or quality 可接受的，相当好的，像样的 a decent salary 不错的工资待遇 Don’t you have a decent jacket? 你就没有一件像样的外套吗？ a house with a decent-sized yard 院子还算大的房子 Their in-flight magazine is halfway decent (=quite good). 他们的航班杂志还算可以。► see thesaurus at satisfactory2 following moral standards that are acceptable to society 正派的，规矩的 → decencydecent citizens/people/folk etc The majority of residents here are decent citizens. 这里的大部分居民都是正派的市民。 a decent burial 得体的葬礼 Paul visited the local bars more frequently than was decent for a senior lecturer. 保罗过于频繁地光顾当地酒吧，不太合乎高级讲师的身份。 The chairman did the decent thing (=did what people thought he ought to) and resigned. 主席体面地辞去了职务。3 GOOD/MORAL[usually before noun] treating people in a fair and kind way 宽容的，和气的 I decided her father was a decent guy after all. 我认为她父亲毕竟是个好人。 It was decent of you to show up today. 你今天来了可真好。4 WEAR CLOTHESwearing enough clothes so that you do not show too much of your body – used humorously 穿好衣服的，雅观的〔幽默用法〕 Are you decent? Can I come in? 你穿好了吗？我能进来了吗？ —decently adverb
Examples from the Corpus
decent• Don't come in - I'm not decent!• And it took you all your time to get them decent again with a wet rag.• He was wearing a decent black cloth lounge suit, and had no intentions of changing his mode of attire.• Come to think of it, he'd seemed rather a decent chap, some one it might be worth getting to know.• Decent citizens have nothing to fear from the police.• I want to provide my boys with a decent education.• Perhaps Jack wanted to do something decent, for a change.• The coach was a pretty decent guy.• a decent, honest, hard-working woman• Carr and the Celtics have done a decent job the past 48 hours, maximizing the suspense surrounding their new lineup.• Decent members of the public will be outraged by this decision.• I need to get a decent night's sleep.• It's very decent of you to be so pleased for me -- I know how much you wanted to win this competition.• You would think that with all the money I make, I could at least have a decent place to sleep.• There isn't one decent restaurant around here.• Did you get decent seats for the game?• The Trojans brought the ball up but could not get off a decent shot.• For expatriates with offshore accounts, this represents a decent tax-free return on an investment that carries no risk to capital.• He is 25-10-2 in three seasons, with what many would call decent wins, if not big ones.• Decent working people are frustrated at the level of crime in the cities.halfway decent• Discs viable, a second halfway decent act was required.• And you need to be halfway decent and honest and real.• This is really halfway decent coffee.• Reading about that stuff, downing really halfway decent coffee.decent citizens/people/folk etc• He comes when nobody's lookin' and poisons decent people.• You ain't fit to live with decent people.• There's two methods of policing, one for the decent people and one for the trouble-makers.• I had seen otherwise perfectly decent people in Delhi abusing their servants as if they were pets.• Evidently, there are some very decent people out there.• But most contractors are decent people who like working with their hands, working for themselves.• Most of them were decent people with horrible jobs.It was decent of• She was lonely, and it was decent of the Nawab to have called on her.Origin decent (1500-1600) French décent, from Latin decens, the present participle of decere “to be suitable”de·cent adjectiveChineseSyllable
Corpus a standard good of quality enough or
decent
de‧cent S3 /ˈdiːsənt/
adjective
a decent salary
Don’t you have a decent jacket?
a house with a decent-sized yard
Their in-flight magazine is halfway decent (=quite good).
2. following moral standards that are acceptable to society ⇨ decency
decent citizens/people/folk etc
The majority of residents here are decent citizens.
a decent burial
Paul visited the local bars more frequently than was decent for a senior lecturer.
The chairman did the decent thing (=did what people thought he ought to) and resigned.
3. [usually before noun] treating people in a fair and kind way:
I decided her father was a decent guy after all.
It was decent of you to show up today.
4. wearing enough clothes so that you do not show too much of your body – used humorously:
Are you decent? Can I come in?
—decently adverb
▪ satisfactory good enough – often used when something reaches a fairly good standard, but is not of a high standard: Her grades are satisfactory. | For a beginner, this camera produces satisfactory results.
▪all right/OK spoken not bad, but not very good: The meal was all right, but rather expensive. | ‘How was the film?’ ‘It was OK.’
▪reasonable fairly good: a reasonable standard of living | The quality of the food was reasonable.
▪acceptable if something is acceptable to you, you think it is good enough and you are willing to take it: an acceptable offer | an acceptable level of risk | They can't find a solution that is acceptable to both sides.
▪adequate enough in quantity, or of a good enough standard. Adequate sounds rather formal and is used especially in official contexts: an adequate supply of drinking water | adequate standards of hygiene
▪decent especially spoken good enough in quality – used especially when something is as good as most other things: I want my kids to get a decent education. | Where can I get a decent cup of coffee? | The food’s decent and the service is good.
▪passable satisfactory, but not of the best quality – used especially about food and drink, or someone’s skill at doing something. Passable sounds rather formal: a passable French wine | His Japanese was passable. | a passable imitation of Barack Obama
▪be up to scratch informal to be of a good enough standard: His work wasn’t up to scratch. | None of the hotels they suggested were up to scratch.
▪will do informal to be good enough for a particular purpose: Any kind of paper will do. | ‘How about Ken?’ ‘I suppose he’ll do.’
de‧cent S3 /ˈdiːsənt/
adjective Date: 1500-1600
Language: French
Origin: décent, from Latin decens, the present participle of decere 'to be suitable'
1. [usually before noun] of a good enough standard or quality:Language: French
Origin: décent, from Latin decens, the present participle of decere 'to be suitable'
2. following moral standards that are acceptable to society ⇨ decency
decent citizens/people/folk etc
3. [usually before noun] treating people in a fair and kind way:
4. wearing enough clothes so that you do not show too much of your body – used humorously:
—decently adverb
| THESAURUS |
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
▪
