Adjectives That Start with D | List, Exercise & Examples

Adjectives that start with D Exercises and Flashcards

These exercises focus on Adjectives that start with D

List of Positive Adjectives That Start With D

Adjective	Definition	Example
Dapper	Neat and stylish in appearance.	He looked dapper in his tailored suit.
Dashing	Attractive, adventurous, and confident.	The actor played a dashing hero in the film.
Dazzling	Extremely impressive or bright.	Her dazzling performance received a standing ovation.
Dear	Loved or cherished.	She is a dear friend who always supports me.
Debonair	Suave and charming in a sophisticated way.	His debonair manners impressed everyone at the party.
Decent	Good, moral, and acceptable.	She is a decent person who always helps others.
Deft	Skillful and quick in action or thought.	The pianist’s deft fingers danced across the keys.
Deific	Having divine qualities.	The painting portrayed her in a deific light.
Delectable	Delicious or highly pleasing.	The chef prepared a delectable dessert for the guests.
Delicious	Tasting extremely good.	The soup was rich and delicious.
Delightful	Pleasing and charming.	The garden is a delightful place to relax.
Deluxe	Luxurious and of superior quality.	They stayed in a deluxe suite at the resort.
Depurated	Purified or refined.	The water was depurated to remove all impurities.
Deserving	Worthy of reward or recognition.	She is deserving of all the praise she receives.
Desirable	Attractive or worth having.	The house is located in a highly desirable neighborhood.
Devil-may-care	Carefree and adventurous.	His devil-may-care attitude made him the life of the party.
Dignified	Showing a composed and worthy manner.	The professor maintained a dignified presence during the ceremony.
Diligent	Hardworking and attentive to detail.	She is a diligent student who always submits her assignments on time.
Diplomatic	Skilled in managing sensitive situations.	His diplomatic approach resolved the conflict peacefully.
Disarming	Charming and able to reduce hostility.	His disarming smile immediately put everyone at ease.
Discerning	Having good judgment or insight.	She is a discerning reader who appreciates great literature.
Dishy	Attractive or appealing.	The celebrity looked particularly dishy at the gala.
Distinguished	Eminent and respected for achievements.	The award was given to a distinguished scientist.
Divine	Heavenly or exceptionally good.	The cake tasted divine, like a piece of heaven.
Dollish	Having doll-like charm or beauty.	Her dollish features made her stand out in the photos.
Dominant	Powerful and influential.	The team showed a dominant performance in the final match.
Dovish	Peaceful and advocating for harmony.	The ambassador’s dovish stance helped ease tensions.
Dreamy	Delightfully charming or unrealistically perfect.	The vacation was absolutely dreamy.
Dutiful	Conscientious and obedient in fulfilling duties.	He is a dutiful employee who never misses a deadline.
Dynamic	Full of energy and innovation.	She is a dynamic leader who inspires her team.

Illustration of Adjectives That Start with D

List of Negative Adjectives That Start With D

Adjective	Definition	Example
Damaging	Causing harm or injury.	The false rumors had a damaging effect on her reputation.
Dangerous	Likely to cause harm or risk.	The unstable bridge was deemed dangerous.
Dastardly	Wicked and cowardly.	The villain’s dastardly plan shocked everyone.
Defamatory	Damaging someone's reputation through false statements.	The article was filled with defamatory accusations.
Deleterious	Harmful or damaging to something.	The policy had deleterious effects on the environment.
Demoralizing	Causing a loss of confidence or hope.	The constant criticism was demoralizing for the team.
Deplorable	Shockingly bad or unacceptable.	The living conditions in the camp were deplorable.
Depraved	Morally corrupt or wicked.	His depraved actions horrified the community.
Despairing	Feeling or showing a loss of hope.	She gave him a despairing look after the bad news.
Desperate	Feeling hopeless and in urgent need.	He made a desperate attempt to save the situation.
Despondent	Lacking hope or confidence.	She felt despondent after losing her job.
Destructive	Causing great harm or damage.	The hurricane had a destructive impact on the city.
Detrimental	Causing harm or damage.	The new law could have detrimental effects on small businesses.
Devastating	Causing great destruction or emotional pain.	The loss was devastating for the family.
Diabolical	Evil or extremely bad.	The criminal’s diabolical schemes shocked the nation.
Difficult	Hard to deal with or understand.	The task was more difficult than they anticipated.
Dire	Extremely serious or urgent.	The country is in dire need of medical supplies.
Disappointing	Failing to meet expectations.	The film was disappointing compared to the book.
Discomfiting	Causing discomfort or embarrassment.	His unexpected question was discomfiting.
Disconcerting	Causing unease or confusion.	The eerie silence was deeply disconcerting.
Disconsolate	Unhappy and unable to be comforted.	She was disconsolate after her dog passed away.
Discouraging	Causing a loss of confidence or enthusiasm.	The lack of progress was discouraging for the team.
Disenchanted	Losing belief or interest in something.	Many voters felt disenchanted with the political system.
Disgraceful	Shockingly unacceptable or shameful.	His disgraceful behavior embarrassed his family.
Disillusioned	Disappointed by something previously admired.	She became disillusioned with her job after seeing its flaws.
Dismaying	Causing shock or distress.	The dismaying lack of preparation was evident.
Disrespectful	Showing a lack of respect or courtesy.	His disrespectful remarks offended the audience.
Distressed	Feeling great pain or anxiety.	She looked distressed after hearing the bad news.
Distasteful	Unpleasant or offensive.	The joke was in poor taste and distasteful.
Dowdy	Unfashionable or lacking style.	She refused to wear the dowdy dress to the party.

List of Personality Adjectives That Start With D

Adjective	Definition	Example
Daft	Silly or foolish.	His daft sense of humor always makes people laugh.
Deadpan	Showing no expression or emotion.	She delivered the joke in a deadpan tone, making it even funnier.
Decisive	Able to make decisions quickly and confidently.	A decisive leader is essential in emergencies.
Decorous	Polite and proper in behavior.	Her decorous manners impressed the guests.
Defensive	Quick to protect oneself or resist criticism.	He became defensive when asked about his mistakes.
Deliberate	Done consciously or intentionally.	His deliberate approach ensured no details were missed.
Deluded	Believing something that is not true.	He was deluded into thinking he could finish the project in one day.
Demure	Shy, modest, and reserved.	She gave a demure smile and avoided eye contact.
Dense	Slow to understand or lacking intelligence.	His dense remarks frustrated his teammates.
Desultory	Lacking a clear plan or enthusiasm.	Their desultory conversation jumped from one topic to another.
Determined	Showing firm resolve or purpose.	She is determined to succeed despite the challenges.
Devious	Using underhanded tactics to achieve goals.	His devious behavior made him untrustworthy.
Devout	Deeply religious or committed.	She is a devout follower of her faith.
Diametric	Completely opposed.	Their opinions were diametric opposites on the issue.
Didactic	Intending to teach, often in a patronizing way.	His didactic tone annoyed the audience.
Dilatory	Tending to delay or procrastinate.	His dilatory tactics caused the meeting to run late.
Disaffected	Dissatisfied with authority or the system.	The disaffected workers organized a strike.
Disagreeable	Unpleasant or hard to get along with.	His disagreeable nature made him unpopular in the group.
Disciplined	Showing self-control and orderliness.	She is highly disciplined when it comes to her fitness routine.
Discreet	Careful and tactful in actions or speech.	He was discreet about sharing confidential information.
Discursive	Wandering from topic to topic.	His discursive storytelling confused everyone at the meeting.
Disingenuous	Insincere or pretending to know less than one does.	Her disingenuous apology didn’t feel genuine.
Doleful	Expressing sadness or sorrow.	His doleful eyes revealed the depth of his grief.
Dolorous	Full of sorrow or distress.	The mourners sang a dolorous hymn at the funeral.
Doltish	Stupid or lacking intelligence.	His doltish behavior often got him into trouble.
Dramatic	Overly emotional or theatrical.	Her dramatic reaction to the news surprised everyone.
Driven	Highly motivated and ambitious.	He is a driven individual with clear career goals.
Droll	Amusing in an odd or quirky way.	His droll sense of humor always lightens the mood.
Duplicitous	Deceitful or double-dealing.	His duplicitous actions destroyed their trust in him.
Dyspeptic	Irritable or suffering from indigestion.	His dyspeptic mood made everyone avoid him at lunch.

List of Descriptive Adjectives That Start With D

Adjective	Definition	Example
Dainty	Delicate and small, often attractive.	She wore a dainty bracelet on her wrist.
Dank	Unpleasantly damp or musty.	The basement had a dank smell after the rain.
Dark	Lacking light or gloomy in tone.	The dark room made it hard to see anything.
Deafening	Extremely loud and overwhelming in sound.	The deafening cheers filled the stadium.
Decayed	Deteriorated or decomposed.	The decayed wood crumbled under his touch.
Deep	Extending far down or inward.	The deep canyon was awe-inspiring to behold.
Delicate	Fragile or requiring careful handling.	The flowers were so delicate they bruised easily.
Derelict	In a very poor condition due to neglect.	The derelict house stood abandoned for years.
Desiccated	Thoroughly dried out or lacking vitality.	The desiccated soil cracked under the hot sun.
Dewy	Covered in or resembling dew.	Her face looked fresh and dewy in the morning light.
Dichotomous	Divided into two opposing parts.	The debate highlighted their dichotomous views.
Different	Not the same as something else.	The twins have very different personalities.
Dilapidated	Fallen into disrepair or ruin.	The dilapidated barn was barely standing.
Diminutive	Extremely small in size or stature.	The diminutive puppy fit into the palm of her hand.
Dingy	Gloomy and dirty in appearance.	The dingy curtains blocked out the sunlight.
Dirty	Covered or stained with dirt.	His shoes were dirty after playing in the mud.
Discordant	Disagreeable in sound or lacking harmony.	The orchestra produced a discordant note during rehearsal.
Disparate	Essentially different in kind or quality.	The two cultures have disparate traditions.
Dissonant	Lacking harmony or clashing in sound.	The dissonant chords made the music sound unsettling.
Distinctive	Having a unique or distinguishing quality.	Her distinctive voice made her a memorable singer.
Distracting	Taking attention away from something.	The distracting noise made it hard to focus.
Divergent	Moving apart or differing from a standard.	The two paths in the forest were divergent.
Diverse	Showing a great deal of variety.	The festival featured a diverse range of performances.
Drizzly	Characterized by light rain or mist.	The weather was grey and drizzly all day.
Downy	Soft and fluffy, like feathers.	The chick’s feathers were soft and downy.
Drab	Lacking brightness or interest.	Her office was painted a drab shade of grey.
Dry	Lacking moisture or wetness.	The desert air was hot and dry.
Durable	Strong and able to withstand wear or damage.	The material is highly durable and weather-resistant.
Dusky	Dim or shadowy in light.	The dusky evening sky was tinged with pink.
Dusty	Covered with a fine layer of dust.	The old bookshelf was dusty from years of neglect.

Featured Adjectives Grouped by Topics

Emotional Traits

Devoted: Showing strong love or loyalty.
Diplomatic: Managing relationships effectively.

Visual Descriptions

Dazzling: Bright and visually stunning.
Dim: Lacking brightness or clarity.

Challenging Situations

Dangerous: Involving potential harm.
Difficult: Requiring effort to overcome.

Everyday Use of Adjectives Starting With D

Adjective	Example Sentence
Dependable	"She’s a very dependable friend."
Daring	"His daring actions inspired the team."
Dismal	"The weather has been dismal all week."

Common Mistakes

Using “Dim” instead of “Dark”:
Mistake: "The room is dim with no windows."
Correction: "The room is dark with no windows."
Confusing “Diplomatic” with “Deceptive”:
Mistake: "She was very deceptive in solving the issue."
Correction: "She was very diplomatic in solving the issue."

FAQ

What’s the difference between “Delightful” and “Delicate”?

Delightful means charming or pleasing, while delicate refers to something fragile or requiring careful handling.

Can “Dynamic” describe an object?

While dynamic often refers to people, it can also describe processes or systems that are energetic and adaptable.

Is “Dependable” always positive?

Yes, dependable typically has a positive connotation, indicating reliability.

How is “Deceptive” different from “Deceitful”?

Deceptive describes something that misleads, while deceitful refers to a deliberate act of lying.

Can “Daring” be negative?

Daring can be seen as negative if it implies recklessness, though it’s often positive.