decent
- 01 B1 Intermediate
of a satisfactory or acceptable quality.
of an acceptable or satisfactory standard; often used to describe quality that is adequate but not exceptional.
Simple“I just want to find a decent restaurant that isn't too expensive.”
In context“While the hotel was nothing fancy, it provided a decent breakfast and a clean room for a reasonable price.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
honest, helpful, and following moral standards.
conforming to standards of moral honesty, kindness, or propriety.
Simple“He is a decent man who always tries to do the right thing.”
In context“The community rallied behind the family, proving that there are still plenty of decent people willing to help a neighbour in need.”
Synonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
fair, kind, or generous in how you treat others.
showing fairness, generosity, or a polite sense of social obligation.
Simple“It was very decent of them to offer us a lift home in the rain.”
In context“The company offered a decent severance package to the employees affected by the recent downsizing.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
large enough or good enough to be important.
of a significant or substantial size, amount, or degree.
Simple“They earned a decent amount of money from the garage sale.”
In context“After years of saving, they finally managed to put down a decent deposit on a small apartment in the city centre.”
Synonyms
“But we can see they’re making a decent amount of money.” While Richardson is being interviewed, his phone buzzes again: another advertisement in a WhatsApp group.”
“You'd give your parents a decent idea of what you wanted but it would still be a nice surprise on the day.”
Borrowed from Middle French décent, or its source, Latin decēns, present participle of decet (“it is fitting or suitable”), from Proto-Indo-European *deḱ- (“to take, accept, to receive, greet, be suitable”) (compare Ancient Greek δοκέω (dokéō, “to appear, seem, think”), δέχομαι (dékhomai, “to accept”); Sanskrit दशस्यति (daśasyáti, “shows honor, is gracious”), दाशति (dāśati, “makes offerings, bestows”)). Meaning ‘kind, pleasant’ is from 1902.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.