vocab words that start with the letter d

dearth

a lack, scarcity

debacle

a disastrous failure, disruption

debase

to lower the quality or esteem of something

debauch

to corrupt by means of sensual pleasures

decorous

socially proper, appropriate

decry

to criticize openly

defamatory

harmful toward another’s reputation

deferential

showing respect for another’s authority

defile

to make unclean, impure

deft

skillful, capable

defunct

no longer used or existing

deleterious

harmful

delineate

to describe, outline, shed light on

demagogue

a leader who appeals to a people’s prejudices

demarcation

the marking of boundaries or categories

demean

to lower the status of stature of something

denigrate

to belittle, diminish the opinion of

deplore

to feel or express sorrow, disapproval

depravity

wickedness

derelict

abandoned, run-down

deride

to laugh mockingly, scorn

derivative

taken directly from a source, unoriginal

desecrate

to violate the sacredness of a thing or place

desiccated

dried up, dehydrated

despondent

feeling depressed, discouraged, hopeless

despot

one who has total power and rules brutally

destitute

impoverished, utterly lacking

diaphanous

light, airy, transparent

didactic

intended to instruct or overly moralistic

diffident

shy, quiet, modest

diffuse

to scatter, thin out, break up, or not concentrated, scattered, disorganized

dilatory

tending to delay, causing delay

diminutive

small or miniature

dirge

a mournful song, especially for a funeral

disaffected

rebellious, resentful of authority

disavow

to deny knowledge of or responsibility for

discomfit

to thwart, baffle

discordant

not agreeing, not in harmony with

discursive

rambling, lacking order

disgruntled

upset, not content

disparage

to criticize or speak ill of

disparate

sharply differing, containing sharply contrasting elements

dispel

to drive away, scatter

disrepute

a state of being held in low regard

dissemble

to conceal, fake

disseminate

to spread widely

dissuade

to persuade someone not to do something

distend

to swell out

dither

to be indecisive

docile

easily taught or trained

dogmatic

aggressively and arrogantly certain about unproved principles

dour

stern, joyless

duplicity

crafty dishonesty

duress

hardship, threat

dynamic

actively changing