English Vocabulary - Words Starting with DE

The sentence describes woodwork that has deteriorated over time. Decay specifically refers to the decomposition or rotting of organic materials like wood, making it the perfect fit for the context. Deceived means tricked, dawdled means wasted time, and dawned means became apparent.

Dangle means to hang or swing loosely. When someone dangles a watch in front of a baby, they hold it so it swings back and forth, which is a common action to entertain infants. Decayed means decomposed, deceived means tricked, dawdled means lingered slowly, and dawned means became clear.

The phrase 'it dawned on me' is an idiom that means something suddenly became clear or was realized. This fits perfectly with the context of suddenly realizing someone had been lying. Decayed means decomposed, deceived means tricked, dawdled means wasted time, and dangled means hung loosely.

Dawdle means to waste time or linger slowly, doing things in a leisurely or idle manner. This perfectly matches the context of spending a long time over a meal. Decayed means decomposed, deceived means tricked, dawned means became clear, and dangled means hung loosely.

To be deceived means to be misled or tricked by someone's false appearance. His friendly manner was just a facade that didn't last.

To dedicate means to commit oneself wholly to a purpose or cause. She devoted her entire life to the cause of helping impoverished people.

To deface means to damage, spoil, or disfigure the surface of something. The wall's appearance was ruined by having slogans written on it.

To defuse means to reduce tension or danger in a situation. The speech partially reduced the hostility people felt towards the government.

To decry means to publicly denounce or criticize something strongly. He strongly criticized her efforts as being a waste of time.

To deduce means to reach a conclusion through reasoning and evidence. The economists used logical reasoning based on the figures to conclude the economy was recovering.

To degenerate means to decline or deteriorate into a worse state. The peaceful march deteriorated and became a violent riot.

To deflect means to cause something to change direction. The defender accidentally caused the ball to change direction into their own net.

To despise means to feel contempt or deep hatred toward someone. He feels hatred toward the people who treated him badly.

To delete means to remove or erase something. The computer removes documents without any warning.

To depict means to represent or describe something in words or images. Her novel represents and describes life in Victorian London.

To deliberate means to carefully consider or discuss something before making a decision. The management will carefully consider your proposal while you wait outside.

The correct answer is 'deserts', which means to abandon or leave without permission, especially in a military context. A soldier who deserts their post commits a serious offense. Don't confuse this with 'desserts' (sweet foods - same spelling, different meaning).

The correct answer is 'demolishes', which means to completely destroy or defeat an argument. In context, her article effectively destroyed his entire argument. 'Denotes' means to indicate or represent, 'deplores' means to strongly disapprove, 'derives' means to obtain, and 'deigns' means to condescend.

The correct answer is 'derives'. The phrase 'derives pleasure' is a standard collocation meaning to obtain or get pleasure from something. 'Denotes' means to indicate, 'demolishes' means to destroy, 'deplores' means to disapprove, and 'deigns' means to condescend.

The correct answer is 'denotes', which means to represent, signify, or indicate. In mathematics, symbols like x, y, z denote (represent) unknown quantities or variables. This is standard mathematical terminology.

The correct answer is 'deigns', which means to condescend to do something that one considers beneath one's dignity. The phrase 'deign to talk' means to lower oneself to talk to someone. Given she's a snob, the speaker is surprised she would stoop to their level.

The correct answer is 'deplores', which means to strongly disapprove of or feel regret about something. He strongly disapproves of the destruction of countryside by roads. 'Denotes' means to indicate, 'demolishes' means to physically destroy, 'derives' means to obtain, and 'deigns' means to condescend.

The correct answer is 'defied', which means to openly resist, disobey, or refuse to obey someone. She openly disobeyed her parents' wishes and got married. 'Deducted' means to subtract, 'decried' means to publicly criticize, 'deferred' means to postpone, and 'deflected' means to turn aside.

The correct answer is 'deducted', which means to subtract or take away from a total. Taxes and insurance are subtracted from your wages before you receive payment. This is standard payroll terminology.

The correct answer is 'deferred', which means to postpone or put off to a later time. He postponed his flight to the following week. 'Deducted' means to subtract, 'defied' means to disobey, 'decried' means to criticize, and 'deflected' means to turn aside.