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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
decent \de"cent\ (d[=e]"sent), adjective [L. decens, decentis, p. pr. of decere to be fitting or becoming; akin to decus glory, honor, ornament, Gr. dokei^n to seem good, to seem, think; cf. Skr. d[=a][,c] to grant, to give; and perh. akin to E. attire, tire: cf. F. d['e]cent. Cf. {Decorate}, {Decorum}, {Deign}.]
1. Suitable in words, behavior, dress, or ceremony; becoming; fit; decorous; proper; seemly; as, decent conduct; decent language. --Shak.
Before his decent steps. --Milton.
2. Free from immodesty or obscenity; modest.
3. Comely; shapely; well-formed. [Archaic]
A sable stole of cyprus lawn Over thy decent shoulders drawn. --Milton.
By foreign hands thy decent limbs composed. --Pope.
4. Moderate, but competent; sufficient; hence, respectable; fairly good; reasonably comfortable or satisfying; as, a decent fortune; a decent person.
A decent retreat in the mutability of human affairs. --Burke. -- {De"cent*ly}, adverb -- {De"cent*ness}, noun
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
decently
adverb
1: in a decent manner; "they don't know how to dress decently" [ant: {indecently}]
2: in the right manner; "please do your job properly!"; "can't you carry me decent?" [syn: {properly}, {decent}, {in good order}, {right}, {the right way}] [ant: {improperly}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
75 Moby Thesaurus words for "decently": acceptably, adequately, advantageously, advisably, aesthetically, appropriately, artistically, becomingly, blamelessly, congruously, conscientiously, conveniently, correctly, decorously, desirably, elegantly, erectly, expediently, fairishly, fairly, fairly well, fastidiously, feasibly, fitly, fittingly, genteelly, gracefully, high-mindedly, honestly, honorably, immaculately, in good taste, irreproachably, justly, meticulously, moderately, morally, nicely, nobly, opportunely, passably, practically, presentably, pretty, pretty well, properly, punctiliously, purely, quietly, rather, reputably, respectably, righteously, rightly, satisfactorily, scrupulously, seasonably, seemly, simply, sortably, stainlessly, suitably, tastefully, to advantage, tolerably, unexceptionably, unimpeachably, unobtrusively, unspottedly, uprightly, upstandingly, virtuously, well enough, with taste, worthily
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Definitions retrieved from local copies of the freely distributed DICT client/server software and databases. Click here for database copyright information. - KM |