Updated on January 14, 2025
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Adjectives That Start with D

Dreaming of discovering delightful adjectives that start with “D”? Or perhaps you're delving into the darker and more difficult descriptors for a dire situation? Whatever the case, this diverse collection of “D” adjectives is sure to deliver—from dazzling details to downright dastardly depictions.

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.

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.

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