6/11 act vocab

Dilapidated

broken-down; fallen into ruin

Dilate

to make larger; to become larger; to speak or write at length

Dilemma

a situation in which one must choose between two equally attractive choices; any problem or predicament

Dilettante

someone with superficial knowledge of the arts; an amateur; a dabbler

Diminution

the act or process of diminishing; reduction

Dire

disastrous; desperate

Dirge

a funeral song

Disaffect

to cause to lose affection; to estrange; to alienate

Disarray

disorder; confusion

Discern

to have insight; to see things clearly; to discriminate; to differentiate

Disclaim

to deny any claim to; to renounce

Discomfit

to frustrate; to confuse

Disconcert

to upset; to ruffle; to perturb

Discourse

spoken or written expression in words; conversation

Discreet

prudent; judiciously reserved

Discrete

unconnected; separate; distinct

Discrepancy

difference; inconsistency

Discursive

rambling from one topic to another, usually aimlessly

Discriminate

to notice or point out the difference between two or more things; to discern; to differentiate

Disdain

arrogant scorn; contempt

Disgruntle

to make sulky and dissatisfied; to discontent

Disinformation

false information purposely disseminated, usually by a government, for the purpose of creating a false impression

Disinterested

not taking sides; unbiased

Dismal

dreary; causing gloom; causing dread

Dismay

to fill with dread; to discourage greatly; to perturb

Disparage

to belittle; to say uncomplimentary things about, usually in a somewhat indirect way

Disparate

different; incompatible; unequal

Dispassionate

unaffected by passion; impartial; calm

Disperse

to scatter; to spread widely; to disseminate

Dispirit

to discourage; to dishearten; to lose spirit

Disposition

characteristic attitude; state of mind; inclination; arrangement

Disproportionate

out of proportion; too much or too little

Disquiet

to make uneasy

Dissemble

to conceal the real nature of; to act or speak falsely in order to deceive

Disseminate

to spread the seeds of something; to scatter; to make widely known

Dissent

to disagree; to withhold approval

Disservice

a harmful action; an ill turn

Dissident

a person who disagrees or dissents

Dissipate

to thin out, drift away, or dissolve; to cause to thin out, drift away, or dissolve; to waste or squander

Dissolution

the breaking up or dissolving of something into parts; disintegration

Dissuade

to persuade not to

Distend

to swell; to extend a great deal

Distinct

separate; different; clear and unmistakable

Distinguish

to tell apart; to cause to stand out

Diurnal

occurring every day; occurring during the daytime

Divine

to intuit; to prophesy

Divulge

to reveal, especially to reveal something that has been a secret

Docile

easily taught; obedient; easy to handle

Doctrinaire

inflexibly committed to a doctrine or theory without regard to its practicality; dogmatic

Document

to support with evidence, especially written evidence

Dogmatic

arrogantly assertive of unproven ideas; stubborn claiming that something (often a system of beliefs) is beyond dispute

Doldrums

low spirits; a state of inactivty

Doleful

sorrowful; filled with grief

Dolt

a stupid person; a dunce

Domestic

having to do with the household or family; not foreign

Dormant

inactive; as though asleep; asleep

Dotage

senility; foolish affection

Double entendre

a word or phrase having a double meaning, especially when the second meaning is risqué

Dour

forbidding; severe; gloomy

Downcast

directed downward; dejected

Downplay

to minimize; to represent as being insignificant

Draconian

harsh; severe; cruel

Droll

humorous; amusing in an odd, often understated, way

Dross

worthless stuff, especially worthless stuff arising from the production of valuable stuff

Dubious

full of doubt; uncertain

Duplicity

the act of being two-faced; double-dealing; deception

Duress

coercion; compulsion by force or threat