152 Adjectives That Start With D
D is the letter of disapproval. 37 of the 152 adjectives below begin with dis-, and most of those are complaints — dismissive, disingenuous, disreputable, disgraceful. What is easy to miss is that the same prefix makes several of the letter’s best compliments too: discerning, discreet, discriminating, distinguished.
This page lists 152 adjectives that start with D, each with its meaning and a short example. The table is the reference; everything after it is a selection from the same 152 words.
All 152 adjectives, with meanings and examples
The full reference. Everything below this table is a cut of it, chosen for a particular job.
| Adjective | What it means | In use |
|---|---|---|
| daft | foolish in a harmless way | a daft idea |
| dainty | small and delicately made | a dainty cup |
| damning | pointing strongly toward guilt or fault | damning evidence |
| damp | slightly wet | a damp cellar |
| dangerous | likely to cause harm | a dangerous bend |
| dank | cold, wet and stale-smelling | a dank passage |
| dapper | neat and stylish in dress | a dapper porter |
| daring | willing to take bold risks | a daring rescue |
| dark | without light, or grim in tone | a dark joke |
| dashing | stylish and confident in manner | a dashing entrance |
| daunting | large enough to discourage | a daunting list |
| dazzling | brilliant enough to blind or amaze | a dazzling display |
| dead | no longer living or working | a dead line |
| deadly | capable of killing | a deadly dose |
| deadpan | delivered with no expression | a deadpan reply |
| deaf | unable to hear, or unwilling to listen | deaf to reason |
| dear | much loved, or costly | a dear friend |
| debatable | open to argument | a debatable point |
| decadent | luxuriously self-indulgent, or in moral decline | a decadent pudding |
| deceitful | given to lying and concealment | a deceitful account |
| decent | behaving properly toward others | a decent offer |
| deceptive | giving a false impression | a deceptive calm |
| decisive | settling a matter, or quick to reach a judgement | a decisive reply |
| decorative | added for ornament | a decorative border |
| decrepit | worn out with age or use | a decrepit van |
| dedicated | set apart for one purpose and no other | a dedicated nurse |
| deep | extending far down or inward | a deep silence |
| defensive | reacting as if under attack | a defensive tone |
| defiant | openly refusing to obey | a defiant stare |
| deficient | lacking something essential | deficient in iron |
| definite | fixed and free of doubt | a definite date |
| definitive | settling the matter for good | a definitive account |
| deft | neat and skilful in movement | a deft edit |
| dejected | low in spirit after a setback | a dejected walk home |
| delectable | delightful to taste, with a note of relish in the saying | a delectable tart |
| deliberate | done on purpose, or unhurried | a deliberate pause |
| delicate | easily damaged, or finely made | a delicate hinge |
| delicious | giving great pleasure to taste | a delicious stew |
| delightful | causing real pleasure | a delightful hour |
| delirious | confused by fever or joy | delirious with relief |
| demanding | asking a great deal of others | a demanding editor |
| democratic | run by the whole group | a democratic vote |
| demure | reserved and modest in manner | a demure nod |
| dense | packed closely, or slow to grasp | dense fog |
| dependable | able to be counted on | a dependable van |
| dependent | relying on someone else | dependent on funding |
| deplorable | bad enough to condemn | a deplorable state |
| depressed | low in mood over time | a depressed market |
| deprived | kept from what is needed | a deprived district |
| derelict | abandoned and falling apart | a derelict mill |
| derisive | expressing scorn | a derisive laugh |
| descriptive | giving a picture in words | a descriptive passage |
| deserted | emptied of people | a deserted platform |
| desirable | worth wanting | a desirable post |
| desolate | empty and cheerless | a desolate moor |
| desperate | driven by extreme need | a desperate bid |
| despicable | deserving contempt | a despicable trick |
| despondent | having lost hope | a despondent silence |
| destructive | causing ruin | a destructive habit |
| detached | uninvolved by choice, and the better for it | a detached observer |
| detailed | containing many particulars | a detailed plan |
| determined | fixed on seeing something through | a determined push |
| detrimental | causing harm to something | detrimental to morale |
| devastating | causing overwhelming damage | a devastating verdict |
| devious | achieving ends by underhand routes | a devious clause |
| devoted | bound by deep affection or loyalty | a devoted friend |
| devout | deeply religious | a devout observer |
| dexterous | skilful with the hands | a dexterous repair |
| diagonal | running at a slant | a diagonal crack |
| dictatorial | ruling by command, allowing no say | a dictatorial memo |
| different | not the same as another | a different route |
| difficult | requiring effort, or hard to please | a difficult client |
| diffident | hesitant from lack of confidence | a diffident knock |
| dignified | composed in a way that commands respect | a dignified exit |
| diligent | working steadily and with care | a diligent clerk |
| dim | giving or receiving little light | a dim corridor |
| diminutive | very small | a diminutive figure |
| dingy | grubby and poorly lit | a dingy stairwell |
| diplomatic | handling people without giving offence | a diplomatic silence |
| direct | going straight to the point | a direct question |
| dirty | soiled, or underhand | a dirty deal |
| disagreeable | unpleasant to deal with | a disagreeable smell |
| disappointing | falling short of what was hoped | a disappointing turnout |
| disastrous | ending in ruin | a disastrous launch |
| discerning | showing good judgement in choosing | a discerning reader |
| disciplined | holding to a standard without supervision | a disciplined routine |
| disconcerting | unsettling in a way hard to place | a disconcerting pause |
| discourteous | failing in ordinary politeness | a discourteous reply |
| discreet | careful with what is confidential | a discreet enquiry |
| discrete | separate and individually distinct | discrete stages |
| discriminating | alert to fine differences in quality | a discriminating palate |
| disdainful | showing that something is beneath one | a disdainful glance |
| disgraceful | bringing shame | a disgraceful scene |
| dishevelled | untidy in hair and dress | a dishevelled arrival |
| dishonest | not truthful, and willing to gain by it | a dishonest return |
| disillusioned | having lost a belief once held | a disillusioned member |
| disingenuous | pretending to be more open than one is | a disingenuous denial |
| disinterested | having no stake in the outcome | a disinterested party |
| disjointed | failing to connect into a whole | a disjointed account |
| dismal | gloomy and depressing | a dismal record |
| dismissive | treating as unworthy of attention | a dismissive wave |
| disobedient | refusing to do as told | a disobedient dog |
| disorderly | unruly, and inclined to become trouble | a disorderly queue |
| disorganised | badly arranged, or bad at arranging | a disorganised file |
| disparate | differing so much as to resist comparison | disparate accounts |
| dispassionate | judging without letting feeling in | a dispassionate review |
| disproportionate | out of scale with what it answers | a disproportionate fine |
| disreputable | known for poor conduct | a disreputable dealer |
| disruptive | breaking up the normal course of things | a disruptive term |
| dissatisfied | not content with what was received | a dissatisfied customer |
| distant | far off in space, time or relation | a distant cousin |
| distasteful | offending against good taste | a distasteful remark |
| distinct | clearly separate from others | a distinct accent |
| distinctive | marking something out from the rest | a distinctive spine |
| distinguished | marked by high achievement | a distinguished panel |
| distracted | attention pulled away | a distracted reply |
| distraught | overcome by grief or worry | a distraught caller |
| distressed | suffering, or artificially worn | distressed timber |
| diverse | made up of many different kinds | a diverse intake |
| divine | of a god, or wonderful | a divine coincidence |
| divisive | causing disagreement between groups | a divisive ruling |
| dizzy | feeling the room turn | a dizzy climb |
| docile | easily led and quiet | a docile pony |
| dogged | persisting stubbornly over time | a dogged pursuit |
| dogmatic | asserting opinion as settled fact | a dogmatic footnote |
| doleful | full of sorrow | a doleful expression |
| domestic | of the home, or of one country | a domestic flight |
| dominant | most powerful or noticeable | a dominant theme |
| domineering | overbearing in a personal, day-to-day way | a domineering aunt |
| doomed | certain to fail or end badly | a doomed venture |
| dormant | temporarily inactive but able to be revived | a dormant account |
| doubtful | unlikely to be true or to happen | a doubtful claim |
| dour | stern and unsmiling | a dour welcome |
| dowdy | dull and unfashionable in dress | a dowdy coat |
| downcast | low in spirits, and showing it | a downcast crew |
| drab | dull and colourless | a drab lobby |
| draconian | excessively harsh or severe | draconian terms |
| dramatic | striking and full of contrast | a dramatic turn |
| drastic | extreme in effect | a drastic cut |
| dreadful | very bad, or frightening | a dreadful crossing |
| dreamy | lost in thought, or softly lovely | a dreamy first act |
| dreary | dull and dispiriting | a dreary drizzle |
| dressy | smarter than everyday wear | a dressy jacket |
| drowsy | half asleep | a drowsy afternoon |
| dry | free of moisture, or wittily understated | a dry aside |
| dubious | not to be relied on, and probably shady | a dubious invoice |
| dull | uninteresting, or not sharp | a dull blade |
| durable | lasting well under use | a durable finish |
| dusty | filmed over from long disuse | a dusty ledger |
| dutiful | doing what is owed | a dutiful visit |
| dynamic | full of energy and change | a dynamic market |
| dysfunctional | not working as it should | a dysfunctional board |
The twenty most useful
If you take twenty words from this page, take these — the ones that do work no other word on the list quite does.
- deft — skill that looks like it took no effort
- discerning — praise for judgement rather than knowledge
- disingenuous — insincerity wearing the face of candour
- dispassionate — neutrality achieved rather than merely claimed
- dogged — persistence without any flair, which is usually what works
- draconian — severity out of proportion, in one word
- desolate — emptiness that carries a feeling with it
- diffident — hesitancy from doubt, not from calculation
- disjointed — the exact fault in most bad writing
- decrepit — age plus neglect, which old alone does not say
- demure — modesty of manner, with a hint that it may be worn
- dour — joylessness as a settled condition
- dogmatic — asserting opinion as settled fact, which is the fault most arguments actually have
- distinctive — marks a thing out without claiming it is better
- deadpan — the delivery, not the joke
- dank — cold and wet and stale in a single syllable
- divisive — names the effect without taking a side on the cause
- dormant — inactive, but still able to wake
- delectable — excess where delicious would be enough
- damning — evidence that points hard in one direction
The positive ones
Praise-side words. Discreet and discerning look alike and share no meaning: the first keeps a confidence, the second makes a fine judgement.
dainty, dapper, daring, dashing, dazzling, decent, decisive, dedicated, deft, delectable, delicious, delightful, dependable, desirable, determined, devoted, dexterous, dignified, diligent, diplomatic, discerning, disciplined, discreet, discriminating, distinguished, diverse, durable, dynamic
The negative ones
Criticism-side words. The dis- prefix does most of the work here, and inside this list it attaches to conduct far more readily than to ability — though elsewhere in the letter the same prefix produces discerning, disciplined and discriminating.
deceitful, deceptive, decrepit, deplorable, derisive, despicable, destructive, devious, dictatorial, dingy, disagreeable, disastrous, discourteous, disdainful, disgraceful, dishonest, disingenuous, disjointed, dismal, dismissive, disorderly, disreputable, disruptive, domineering, dour, dowdy, drab, draconian, dreary
Describing appearance
Appearance and condition. Dishevelled is the most precise of them: it describes hair and dress specifically, where untidy could mean a desk.
dainty, dapper, dark, decrepit, delicate, derelict, dim, diminutive, dingy, dishevelled, desolate, dowdy, drab, dressy, dusty
Common mistakes
| Pair | The difference that matters |
|---|---|
| disinterested / uninterested | The careful modern split is that disinterested means having no stake in the outcome — a qualification for a judge — and uninterested means not interested. Worth following, but know that it is a preference rather than a rule: Merriam-Webster records “not interested” as a live sense of disinterested, and the two words entered English in the seventeenth century with the senses the other way round. |
| discreet / discrete | Discreet is careful with a confidence. Discrete means separate and individually distinct. Same sound and the same Latin root, which is why the spellings were once interchangeable; the senses are now fully separate. |
| deprecate / depreciate | Neither is an adjective, but they are the D-pair most often confused. To deprecate is to disapprove of; to depreciate is to lose value, or to write value down. The overlap that causes the trouble is that depreciate also carries a sense of belittling, which is very close to deprecate. |
| dubious / doubtful | Both cover doubt in either direction. Dubious leans toward suspicion of something shady; doubtful leans toward simple uncertainty. |
| definite / definitive | Definite means fixed and free of doubt: a definite answer is one that is not vague. Definitive means settling the matter for good: a definitive account is the one later writers have to argue with. A definite answer can still be wrong; a definitive one is meant to be final. |
Related guides
- Adjectives for darkness — where dim, dingy and dismal do their closest work.
- Adjectives for a daughter — for devoted, dependable and determined.
- Adjectives for drinks — expands delectable, dry and delicious.
- Adjectives for dance — pairs with deft, dexterous and dramatic.
- Adjectives for a dog — for docile, disobedient and dogged.
- Adjectives for drawings — for detailed, delicate and decorative.
Checked against Merriam-Webster, the Chicago Manual of Style and the AP Stylebook. Spotted an error? Tell us — see our editorial policy.
