decent
/ˈdiːsnt/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈdiːsnt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈdē-sᵊnt/ (ame, mw)
decent — adjective
- decentpositive
- more decentcomparative
- most decentsuperlative
1. having enough quality, honesty, or moral correctness to meet what people normall
having enough quality, honesty, or moral correctness to meet what people normally expect of something or someone.
The hotel was decent — the rooms were clean and the staff were friendly.
Sahil is a decent man who always returns borrowed tools and helps his neighbours.
describes moral character of a person
Isabela left a decent tip even though the service was slow.
Aarav's manager said forwarding a colleague's private email to the whole office was not decent.
The salary they offered was decent enough to cover rent and food.
- fair
More about justice and impartiality than quality; 'fair treatment' focuses on equality, while 'decent treatment' adds a sense of generosity.
- respectable
Leans toward social status and reputation; a 'respectable job' impresses others, while a 'decent job' simply meets your needs.
- satisfactory
Purely about meeting minimum requirements with no moral dimension; 'satisfactory work' passes inspection but may lack warmth.
- proper
Emphasises following rules or conventions; 'proper behaviour' follows etiquette, while 'decent behaviour' also implies genuine kindness.
- indecent
Direct opposite in the moral/social sense; 'indecent behaviour' violates accepted standards.
- poor
Opposite in the quality sense; 'poor quality' falls below what is acceptable.
- unacceptable
Opposite in the adequacy sense; 'unacceptable work' fails to meet the required standard.
用法筆記
Can describe quality (a decent meal), moral character (a decent person), or social appropriateness (a decent thing to do). The exact shade of meaning depends on the noun it modifies.
常見錯誤
2. wearing enough clothing so as not to be seen without proper covering, especially
wearing enough clothing so as not to be seen without proper covering, especially when someone might otherwise see you without enough clothing.
Asher asked everyone to wait while he put on a shirt to be decent.
Make sure the children are decent before you open the door to visitors.
common polite question: 'Are you decent?'
The robe was too thin for Zola to feel decent walking to the bathroom.
After the swim, Joon wrapped a towel around himself and called out, 'I am decent!'
- dressed
Neutral term without the implication of sufficiency; 'dressed' simply means wearing clothes.
- clothed
More formal than 'dressed'; often used in contrasted contexts ('clothed vs. naked').
- presentable
Emphasises readiness to be seen by others, often with an additional hint of tidiness.
用法筆記
This sense is always predicative (comes after a linking verb like 'be' or 'feel'). The question 'Are you decent?' is a common polite way to check if someone is dressed enough before entering a room.