Adjectives That Start with D
Table of Contents
- Adjectives that start with D Exercises and Flashcards
- List of Positive Adjectives That Start With D
- List of Negative Adjectives That Start With D
- List of Personality Adjectives That Start With D
- List of Descriptive Adjectives That Start With D
- Featured Adjectives Grouped by Topics
- Everyday Use of Adjectives Starting With D
- Common Mistakes
- FAQ
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. |
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
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Dangerous: Involving potential harm.
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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.