1
: marked by moral integrity, kindness, and goodwill
hard-working and decent folks
it's very decent of them to help
2
3
: free from immodesty or obscenity
decent language
4
: fairly good : adequate, satisfactory
decent wages
5
decently
adverb
Synonyms
Examples of decent in a Sentence
Not long afterward, his father's health starts to fail. Mrs. Queenan has kicked him out, and he's landed in a flophouse. When word reaches Joe, he takes out his checkbook and moves his father into a decent apartment.
—
James McManus, New York Times Book Review, 26 Apr. 2009
In a whiney, rambling speech at his sentencing he took a page from the script of the earlier case, once again portraying himself as a flawed but decent man unfairly caught up in circumstances.
—Bill Hewitt et al., People, 22 Dec. 2008
Tommy Railles, the doctor's boy. Just a great kid. Smart at school, a decent athlete, great with the girls, wonderful with older people.
—Ward Just, Forgetfulness, (2006) 2007
The next time an overly friendly blond sidles up in a crowded bar and asks you to order her a brand-name martini, or a cheery tourist couple wonder whether you can take their picture with their sleek new camera-in-a-cell phone, you might want to think twice. There's a decent chance that these strangers are pitchmen in disguise, paid to oh-so-subtly pique your interest in their product.
—Paul McFedries, Word Spy, 2004
I don't understand how so decent a person could be involved with this kind of crime.
He is a decent guy who would help anyone in need.
You need to do the decent thing and tell her what happened.
Are there any decent schools in that area?
I've got to get some decent clothes.
James McManus, New York Times Book Review, 26 Apr. 2009
In a whiney, rambling speech at his sentencing he took a page from the script of the earlier case, once again portraying himself as a flawed but decent man unfairly caught up in circumstances.
—Bill Hewitt et al., People, 22 Dec. 2008
Tommy Railles, the doctor's boy. Just a great kid. Smart at school, a decent athlete, great with the girls, wonderful with older people.
—Ward Just, Forgetfulness, (2006) 2007
The next time an overly friendly blond sidles up in a crowded bar and asks you to order her a brand-name martini, or a cheery tourist couple wonder whether you can take their picture with their sleek new camera-in-a-cell phone, you might want to think twice. There's a decent chance that these strangers are pitchmen in disguise, paid to oh-so-subtly pique your interest in their product.
—Paul McFedries, Word Spy, 2004
I don't understand how so decent a person could be involved with this kind of crime.
He is a decent guy who would help anyone in need.
You need to do the decent thing and tell her what happened.
Are there any decent schools in that area?
I've got to get some decent clothes.
Recent Examples on the Web
Cooper features elite speed, decent coverage skills, and plenty of special teams experience (11 career tackles on both kick and punt coverages).
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2024
Seeing as the outcomes of N.F.L. games often hinge upon turnovers, a team with a decent record that had been recovering an unusually large share of loose balls was probably benefitting from a few lucky bounces, and outperforming its actual talent level.
—Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2024
The keyboard bucks the trend—Lenovo often puts up superior keyboards, and these are comfortable keys with decent feedback while typing.
—Matthew Buzzi, PCMAG, 25 Apr. 2024
Phones already come with powerful processors, decent heat dissipation, and sophisticated wireless connectivity.
—Allison Johnson, The Verge, 21 Apr. 2024
Indy’s litter-fighting collective Initiation to the Gripper Gang involves a 5-gallon bucket, a grip extender and maybe some decent walking shoes.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 19 Apr. 2024
Director/screenwriter Ned Benson ekes out a decent one in this sensitive romantic triangle.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024
Over the 10 episodes, which resemble vintage Good Times less and less, there are decent character arcs for Reggie, Bev, Junior and Grey, with Smoove, Brown, Pharoah and Martin doing energetic vocal work.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Apr. 2024
But simply being asked, or being scowled at, does not mean that you are required to support the dubious business practice of using shame to shift the responsibility for providing decent wages from the company to you.
—Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2024
Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2024
Seeing as the outcomes of N.F.L. games often hinge upon turnovers, a team with a decent record that had been recovering an unusually large share of loose balls was probably benefitting from a few lucky bounces, and outperforming its actual talent level.
—Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2024
The keyboard bucks the trend—Lenovo often puts up superior keyboards, and these are comfortable keys with decent feedback while typing.
—Matthew Buzzi, PCMAG, 25 Apr. 2024
Phones already come with powerful processors, decent heat dissipation, and sophisticated wireless connectivity.
—Allison Johnson, The Verge, 21 Apr. 2024
Indy’s litter-fighting collective Initiation to the Gripper Gang involves a 5-gallon bucket, a grip extender and maybe some decent walking shoes.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 19 Apr. 2024
Director/screenwriter Ned Benson ekes out a decent one in this sensitive romantic triangle.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024
Over the 10 episodes, which resemble vintage Good Times less and less, there are decent character arcs for Reggie, Bev, Junior and Grey, with Smoove, Brown, Pharoah and Martin doing energetic vocal work.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Apr. 2024
But simply being asked, or being scowled at, does not mean that you are required to support the dubious business practice of using shame to shift the responsibility for providing decent wages from the company to you.
—Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'decent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near decent
Cite this Entry
“Decent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decent. Accessed 30 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
decent
adjective
de·cent
ˈdēs-ᵊnt 
1
a
: agreeing with standards of proper behavior, good taste, or morality
b
: clothed in a proper and suitable manner and style
2
: free from poor taste or bad manners
our conversations were always decent, never obscene
3
: fairly good : adequate
decent housing
decently
adverb
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