deride
to laugh at in scorn or contempt; scoff or jeer at; mock.
derivative
1.
derived; deduced; traced from another origin.
2.
not original; secondary.
derogatory
tending to lessen the merit or reputation of a person or thing; disparaging; depreciatory:
a derogatory remark.
desecrate
1.
to divest of sacred or hallowed character or office.
2.
to divert from a sacred to a profane use or purpose.
3.
to treat with sacrilege; profane.
desiccate
1.
to dry thoroughly; dry up.
2.
to preserve food by removing moisture; dehydrate.
3.
to become thoroughly dried or dried up.
desist
to cease, as from some action or proceeding; stop.
despicable
deserving to be despised, or regarded with distaste, disgust, or disdain; contemptible:
He was a mean, despicable man, who treated his wife and children badly.
despondent
feeling or showing profound hopelessness, dejection, discouragement, or gloom:
despondent about failing health.
despot
1.
a king or other ruler with absolute, unlimited power; autocrat.
2.
any tyrant or oppressor.
destitute
1.
without means of subsistence; lacking food, clothing, and shelter.
2.
deprived of, devoid of, or lacking:
destitute of children.
detachment
1.
aloofness, as from worldly affairs or from the concerns of others.
2.
freedom from prejudice or partiality; objectivity.
deter
1.
to discourage or restrain from acting or proceeding:
The large dog deterred trespassers.
2.
to prevent; check; arrest:
timber treated with creosote to deter rot.
deteriorate
1.
to make or become worse or inferior in character, quality, value, etc.
2.
to disintegrate or wear away.
determinate
1.
having defined limits; definite.
2.
settled; positive.
3.
conclusive; final.
4.
resolute.
detract
1.
to take away a part, as from quality, value, or reputation.
2.
to draw away or divert; distract:
to detract another’s attention from more important issues.
detrimental
causing detriment, as loss or injury; damaging; harmful.
detritus
1.
rock in small particles or other material worn or broken away from a mass, as by the action of water or glacial ice.
2.
any disintegrated material; debris; rubble.
deviate
1.
to turn aside, as from a route, way, course, etc.
2.
to depart or stray, as from a procedure, course of action, or acceptable norm.
3.
to digress, as from a line of thought or reasoning.
4.
to cause to swerve; turn aside.
devoid
not possessing, untouched by, void, or destitute; utterly lacking.
devolve
1.
to transfer or delegate (a duty, responsibility, etc.) to or upon another; pass on.
2.
to be transferred or passed on from one to another:
The responsibility devolved on me.
3.
to roll or flow downward.
devout
1.
devoted to divine worship or service; pious; religious:
a devout Catholic.
2.
expressing devotion or piety:
devout prayer.
3.
earnest or sincere; hearty:
He had a devout allegiance to the political regime.
dexterous
1.
skillful or adroit in the use of the hands or body.
2.
having mental adroitness or skill; clever.
3.
done with skill or adroitness.
4.
right-handed.
diabolical
1.
having the qualities of a devil; devilish; fiendish; outrageously wicked:
a diabolic plot.
2.
pertaining to or actuated by a devil.
diadem
1.
a crown.
2.
a cloth headband, sometimes adorned with jewels.
3.
royal dignity or authority.
dialectic
1.
of, relating to, or of the nature of logical argumentation.
2.
the art or practice of logical discussion as employed in investigating the truth of a theory or opinion.
3.
logical argumentation; a logical exchange.
diaphanous
1.
very sheer and light; almost completely transparent or translucent.
2.
delicately hazy.
diatribe
a bitter, sharply abusive denunciation, attack, or criticism:
repeated diatribes against the senator.
dichotomy
1.
division into two parts; subdivision into halves or pairs.
2.
division into two mutually exclusive, opposed, or contradictory groups:
a dichotomy between thought and action.
dictate
1.
to say or read aloud for another person to transcribe or for a machine to record:
to dictate some letters to a secretary.
2.
to prescribe or lay down authoritatively or peremptorily; command unconditionally:
to dictate peace terms to a conquered enemy.
3.
to give orders.
dictum
1.
an authoritative pronouncement or statement; judicial assertion.
2.
a saying; maxim.
didactic
1.
intended for instruction; instructive:
didactic poetry.
2.
inclined to teach or lecture others too much:
a boring, didactic speaker.
3.
teaching or intending to teach a moral lesson.
diffident
1.
lacking confidence in one’s own ability, worth, or fitness; timid; shy.
2.
restrained or reserved in manner, conduct, etc.
diffract
to break up or bend waves, especially sound and light waves, around obstacles in their path.
diffuse
1.
to pour out and spread, as a fluid.
2.
to spread or scatter widely or thinly; disseminate.
3.
characterized by great length or discursiveness in speech or writing; wordy.
4.
widely spread or scattered; dispersed.
dignitary
a person who holds a high rank or office, as in the government or church.
digress
to deviate or wander away from the main topic or purpose in speaking or writing; depart from the principal line of argument, plot, study, etc.
dilapidated
reduced to or fallen into partial ruin or decay, as from age, wear, or neglect.
dilate
1.
to make wider or larger; cause to expand.
2.
to spread out; expand.
3.
to speak or write at length; expatiate (often followed by on or upon).
dilatory
1.
tending to delay or procrastinate; slow; tardy.
2.
intended to cause delay, gain time, or defer decision:
a dilatory strategy.
dilemma
1.
a situation requiring a choice between equally undesirable alternatives.
2.
any difficult or perplexing situation or problem.
dilettante
1.
a person who takes up an art, activity, or subject merely for amusement, especially in a desultory or superficial way; dabbler.
2.
a lover of an art or science, especially of a fine art.
3.
of or relating to dilettantes.
diligent
1.
constant in effort to accomplish something; attentive and persistent in doing anything:
a diligent student.
2.
done or pursued with persevering attention; painstaking:
a diligent search of the files.
diminutive
small; little; tiny:
a diminutive building for a model-train layout.
din
1.
a loud, confused noise; a continued loud or tumultuous sound; noisy clamor.
2.
to assail with din.
3.
to sound or utter with clamor or persistent repetition.
diplomacy
1.
the conduct by government officials of negotiations and other relations between nations.
2.
skill in managing negotiations, handling people, etc., so that there is little or no ill will:
Seating one’s dinner guests often calls for considerable diplomacy.
- tact; discretion.
directive
1.
serving to direct; directing:
a directive board.
2.
an authoritative instruction or direction; specific order:
a new directive by the president on foreign aid.
dirge
1.
a funeral song or tune, or one expressing mourning in commemoration of the dead.
2.
any composition resembling such a song or tune in character, as a poem of lament for the dead or solemn, mournful music:
Tennyson’s dirge for the Duke of Wellington.
3.
a mournful sound resembling a dirge:
The autumn wind sang the dirge of summer.
dirigible
1.
an airship; blimp.
2.
designed for or capable of being directed, controlled, or steered.
disabuse
to free (a person) from deception or error.
disaffected
discontented and disloyal, as toward the government or toward authority.
disarray
1.
to put out of array or order; throw into disorder.
2.
to undress.
3.
disorder; confusion:
The army retreated in disarray.
4.
disorder of apparel.
disavow
to deny knowledge of, connection with, or responsibility for; disown; repudiate:
He disavowed the remark that had been attributed to him.
disband
1.
to break up or dissolve (an organization):
They disbanded the corporation.
2.
to disperse.
disbar
to expel from the legal profession or from the bar of a particular court.
disburse
1.
to pay out (money), especially for expenses; expend.
2.
to distribute or scatter:
Our troops were disbursed over a wide area. She disbursed the flowers to the children.
discern
1.
to perceive by the sight or some other sense or by the intellect; see, recognize, or apprehend:
They discerned a sail on the horizon.
2.
to distinguish mentally; recognize as distinct or different; discriminate:
He is incapable of discerning right from wrong.
3.
to distinguish or discriminate.
discipline
1.
training to act in accordance with rules; drill:
military discipline.
2.
activity, exercise, or a regimen that develops or improves a skill; training:
A daily stint at the typewriter is excellent discipline for a writer.
3.
punishment inflicted by way of correction and training.
4.
the rigor or training effect of experience, adversity, etc.:
the harsh discipline of poverty.
5.
behavior in accord with rules of conduct; behavior and order maintained by training and control:
good discipline in an army.
6.
a set or system of rules and regulations.
disclaim
1.
to deny or repudiate interest in or connection with; disavow; disown:
disclaiming all participation.
2.
to reject the claims or authority of.
disclose
1.
to make known; reveal or uncover:
to disclose a secret.
2.
to cause to appear; allow to be seen; lay open to view:
In spring the violets disclose their fragrant petals.
3.
to open up; unfold.
disconcerting
1.
disturbing to one’s composure or self-possession; upsetting, discomfiting.
2.
confusing, usually in the face of something totally unexpected; perplexing.
discordant
1.
not harmonious; being at variance; disagreeing; incongruous:
discordant opinions.
2.
disagreeable to the ear; dissonant; harsh.
discount
1.
to deduct a certain amount from a bill, charge, etc.:
All bills that are paid promptly will be discounted at two percent.
2.
to offer for sale or sell at a reduced price:
The store discounted all clothing for the sale.
3.
to leave out of account; disregard:
Even if we discount the irrelevant material, the thesis remains mediocre.
6.
to allow for exaggeration in (a statement, opinion, etc.):
Knowing his political bias they discounted most of his story.
7.
to take into account in advance, often so as to diminish the effect of:
They had discounted the effect of a decline in the stock market.
discourse
1.
communication of thought by words; talk; conversation:
earnest and intelligent discourse.
2.
a formal discussion of a subject in speech or writing, as a dissertation, treatise, sermon, etc.
3.
to communicate thoughts orally; talk; converse.
4.
to treat of a subject formally in speech or writing.
discrepancy
1.
the state or quality of being discrepant or in disagreement, as by displaying an unexpected or unacceptable difference; inconsistency:
The discrepancy between the evidence and his account of what happened led to his arrest.
2.
an instance of difference or inconsistency:
There are certain discrepancies between the two versions of the story.
discretionary
1.
subject or left to one’s own discretion; involving freedom of judgment or choice.
2.
for any use or purpose one chooses; not earmarked for a particular purpose:
discretionary income; a discretionary fund.
discriminating
1.
differentiating; analytical.
2.
noting differences or distinctions with nicety; discerning; perspicacious:
a discriminating interpreter of events.
3.
having excellent taste or judgment:
a discriminating interior designer.
discursive
1.
passing aimlessly from one subject to another; digressive; rambling.
2.
proceeding by reasoning or argument rather than intuition.
disdain
1.
to look upon or treat with contempt; despise; scorn.
2.
to think unworthy of notice, response, etc.; consider beneath oneself:
to disdain replying to an insult.
3.
a feeling of contempt for anything regarded as unworthy; haughty contempt; scorn.
disenfranchise
1. to deprive (a person) of a right of citizenship, as of the right to vote.
2.
to deprive of a franchise, privilege, or right.
disengage
1.
to release from attachment or connection; loosen; unfasten:
to disengage a clutch.
2.
to free oneself from an engagement, pledge, obligation, etc.:
He accepted the invitation, but was later forced to disengage himself.
3.
to break off action with an enemy.
disequilibrium
lack of equilibrium; imbalance.
disgorge
1.
to eject or throw out from the throat, mouth, or stomach; vomit forth.
2.
to surrender or yield something illicitly obtained.
3.
to discharge forcefully or as a result of force; to eject, yield.
disgruntled
displeased and discontented; sulky; peevish:
Her disgruntled husband refused to join us.
disheveled
1.
hanging loosely or in disorder; unkempt:
disheveled hair.
2.
untidy; disarranged:
a disheveled appearance.
disillusion
to free from or deprive of illusion, belief, idealism, etc.; disenchant; disappoint.
disinclined
lacking desire or willingness; unwilling; averse:
I’m disinclined to go to the movies tonight.
disingenuous
lacking in frankness, candor, or sincerity; falsely or hypocritically ingenuous; insincere:
Her excuse was rather disingenuous.
disintegrate
1.
to separate into parts or lose intactness or solidness; break up; deteriorate:
The old book is gradually disintegrating with age.
2.
to reduce to particles, fragments, or parts; break up or destroy the cohesion of:
Rocks are disintegrated by frost and rain.
dismantle
1.
to deprive or strip of apparatus, furniture, equipment, defenses, etc.:
to dismantle a ship; to dismantle a fortress.
2.
to take apart; to disassemble or pull down:
They dismantled the machine and shipped it in pieces.
3.
to divest of dress, covering, etc.:
The wind dismantled the trees of their leaves.
dismissive
1.
indicating dismissal or rejection; having the purpose or effect of dismissing, as from one’s presence or from consideration:
a curt, dismissive gesture.
2.
showing disregard; indicating lack of interest or approbation; scornful; disdainful.
disparage
1.
to speak of or treat slightingly; depreciate; belittle:
Do not disparage good manners.
2.
to bring reproach or discredit upon; lower the estimation of:
Your behavior will disparage the whole family.
disparate
distinct in kind; essentially different; dissimilar:
disparate ideas.
dispassionate
free from or unaffected by passion; devoid of personal feeling or bias; impartial; calm:
a dispassionate critic.
dispatch
1.
to send off or away with speed, as a messenger, letter, troops, etc.
2.
to dismiss a person, as after an audience.
3.
to put to death; kill; execute:
The spy was promptly dispatched.
4.
to transact or dispose of a matter promptly or speedily.
6.
expeditious performance; promptness or speed:
Proceed with all possible dispatch.
dispel
1.
to drive off in various directions; disperse; dissipate:
to dispel the dense fog.
2.
to cause to vanish; alleviate:
to dispel her fears.