DECENTLY

properly, decently, decent, right

(adverb) in the right manner; correctly; suitably; “please do your job properly!”; “can’t you carry me decent?”

decently

(adverb) in a decent manner; “they don’t know how to dress decently”

Source: WordNetÂź 3.1


Etymology

Adverb

decently (comparative more decently, superlative most decently)

In a decent manner.

To a reasonable or acceptable degree.

Source: Wiktionary


DECENT

De"cent, a. Etym: [L. decens, decentis, p. pr. of decere to be fitting or becoming; akin to decus glory, honor, ornament, Gr. d to grant, to give; and perh. akin to E. attire, tire: cf. F. décent. Cf. Decorate, Decorum, Deig.]

1. Suitable in words, behavior, dress, or ceremony; becoming; fit; decorous; proper; seemly; as, decent conduct; decent language. Shak. Before his decent steps. Milton.

2. Free from immodesty or obscenity; modest.

3. Comely; shapely; well-formed. [Archaic] A sable stole of cyprus lawn Over thy decent shoulders drawn. Milton. By foreign hands thy decent limbs composed. Pope.

4. Moderate, but competent; sufficient; hence, respectable; fairly good; reasonably comfortable or satisfying; as, a decent fortune; a decent person. A decent retreat in the mutability of human affairs. Burke.

– De"cent*ly, adv.

– De"cent*ness, n.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

29 March 2025

THOUGHTLESS

(adjective) without care or thought for others; “the thoughtless saying of a great princess on being informed that the people had no bread; ‘Let them eat cake’”


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Coffee Trivia

The word “coffee” entered the English language in 1582 via the Dutch “koffie,” borrowed from the Ottoman Turkish “kahve,” borrowed in turn from the Arabic “qahwah.” The Arabic word qahwah was traditionally held to refer to a type of wine.

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