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These are the 49 vocabulary words starting with D from our free 565-word 11 plus vocabulary list, from debate to dwelling including 6 advanced words of the kind that separates top verbal reasoning scores. Each entry shows the meaning, synonyms, antonyms and an example sentence — the exact skills tested in GL and CEM verbal reasoning, comprehension and cloze questions. You can also download the full list as a free PDF or practise these words with our free vocabulary games.
A formal discussion where opposing arguments are presented; to argue or discuss a topic thoroughly.
“The school debate competition attracted students from across the region.”
Synonyms: discussion, argument, deliberation, dispute
Antonyms: agreement, consensus, accord
To question someone thoroughly after a mission or event to gather information about what happened.
“The coach will debrief the team after the match to discuss their performance.”
Synonyms: question, interview, examine, interrogate
Antonyms: brief, instruct, inform
The act of deceiving someone; dishonest behaviour intended to make someone believe something false.
“His deceit was eventually uncovered when the truth came to light.”
Synonyms: deception, dishonesty, fraud, trickery
Antonyms: honesty, truthfulness, sincerity
To cause someone to believe something that is not true; to trick or mislead deliberately.
“The magician appeared to deceive the audience with his clever tricks.”
Synonyms: trick, mislead, fool, dupe
Antonyms: enlighten, inform, reveal
To announce officially or formally; to state something firmly and publicly.
“The mayor will declare the new park officially open tomorrow.”
Synonyms: announce, proclaim, state, assert
Antonyms: conceal, hide, suppress
To politely refuse something offered; or a gradual decrease in quality, quantity, or importance.
“She had to decline the invitation due to a prior commitment.”
Synonyms: refuse, reject, decrease, deteriorate
Antonyms: accept, increase, improve
Clearly stated or decided; not vague or doubtful; certain and unambiguous.
“We need a definite answer by Friday.”
Synonyms: certain, clear, precise, specific
Antonyms: uncertain, vague, indefinite
Done consciously and intentionally; or to think about something carefully before making a decision.
“It was a deliberate attempt to sabotage the project.”
Synonyms: intentional, planned, calculated, consider
Antonyms: accidental, unintentional, hasty
Completely destroyed or torn down, especially a building or structure.
“The old cinema was demolished to make way for a shopping centre.”
Synonyms: destroyed, razed, wrecked, levelled
Antonyms: built, constructed, erected
To state that something is not true; to refuse to give or allow something.
“He continued to deny any involvement in the incident.”
Synonyms: refute, reject, contradict, refuse
Antonyms: admit, confirm, accept
A sum of money placed in a bank; a layer of matter left by a natural process; to put something down.
“She made a deposit of fifty pounds into her savings account.”
Synonyms: payment, sediment, place, store
Antonyms: withdrawal, remove, extract
A place for storing goods or vehicles; a bus or train station.
“The bus depot was located on the outskirts of the city.”
Synonyms: warehouse, terminal, station, storehouse
In a very poor condition due to neglect; an abandoned building or ship.
“The derelict house had been empty for twenty years.”
Synonyms: abandoned, dilapidated, neglected, ruined
Antonyms: maintained, cared-for, pristine
A spoken or written account of the characteristics or features of something or someone.
“The witness gave a detailed description of the suspect.”
Synonyms: account, portrayal, depiction, explanation
Complete loss of hope; to feel that there is no hope left.
“She was filled with despair when she heard the news.”
Synonyms: hopelessness, anguish, misery, desperation
Antonyms: hope, optimism, confidence
In a way that shows great urgency, need, or hopelessness; extremely.
“The lost hikers desperately searched for shelter.”
Synonyms: urgently, frantically, extremely, intensely
Antonyms: calmly, casually, indifferently
To feel intense dislike or contempt for someone or something.
“She despised dishonesty in any form.”
Synonyms: hate, loathe, detest, abhor
Antonyms: love, admire, cherish
Extremely poor and lacking the basic necessities of life.
“The earthquake left thousands of families destitute.”
Synonyms: impoverished, penniless, poverty-stricken, needy
Antonyms: wealthy, affluent, prosperous
To discover facts through investigation; to firmly decide or resolve to do something.
“Scientists are working to determine the cause of the disease.”
Synonyms: establish, discover, decide, resolve
Antonyms: waver, hesitate, doubt
To grow or cause to grow more advanced, mature, or elaborate over time.
“Children develop language skills at different rates.”
Synonyms: grow, evolve, progress, advance
Antonyms: regress, decline, stagnate
A piece of equipment or tool designed for a particular purpose.
“Mobile phones are the most common electronic devices today.”
Synonyms: gadget, instrument, tool, apparatus
To give all or most of one's time, energy, or resources to a person, activity, or cause.
“She decided to devote her life to helping others.”
Synonyms: dedicate, commit, pledge, allocate
Antonyms: neglect, ignore, withhold
A book or electronic resource listing words alphabetically with their meanings, pronunciations, and other information.
“She looked up the word in the dictionary.”
Synonyms: lexicon, wordbook, glossary, vocabulary
To break down food in the body; to understand and absorb information; a summary of information.
“It takes several hours to digest a large meal.”
Synonyms: absorb, assimilate, process, summary
In a state of severe disrepair or ruin, especially due to age or neglect.
“The dilapidated barn looked like it might collapse.”
Synonyms: rundown, decrepit, ramshackle, crumbling
Antonyms: pristine, immaculate, well-maintained
Showing careful and persistent effort in work or duties.
“The diligent student always completed her homework on time.”
Synonyms: hardworking, industrious, thorough, conscientious
Antonyms: lazy, careless, negligent
Made weaker or thinner by adding water or another substance.
“The juice was too diluted and lacked flavour.”
Synonyms: weakened, watered-down, thinned, reduced
Antonyms: concentrated, strengthened, pure
A loud, unpleasant, and prolonged noise.
“The din of the construction work made it hard to concentrate.”
Synonyms: racket, noise, clamour, commotion
Antonyms: silence, quiet, peace
To cease to be visible; to vanish from sight or existence.
“The sun disappeared behind the clouds.”
Synonyms: vanish, fade, evaporate, dissolve
Antonyms: appear, emerge, materialise
Feeling sad or displeased because someone or something has failed to meet expectations.
“She was disappointed that the concert was cancelled.”
Synonyms: let down, disheartened, dissatisfied, crestfallen
Antonyms: pleased, satisfied, delighted
A state of disorder and confusion; untidiness.
“The room was in complete disarray after the party.”
Synonyms: disorder, chaos, mess, confusion
Antonyms: order, tidiness, organisation
Causing great damage, harm, or suffering; extremely bad or unsuccessful.
“The flood had disastrous effects on the farming community.”
Synonyms: catastrophic, devastating, ruinous, calamitous
Antonyms: successful, beneficial, fortunate
To make secret or new information known; to reveal or expose.
“The company refused to disclose its profits.”
Synonyms: reveal, divulge, expose, uncover
Antonyms: conceal, hide, withhold
Dissatisfaction with one's circumstances; a feeling of unhappiness.
“There was growing discontent among the workers.”
Synonyms: dissatisfaction, displeasure, unhappiness, frustration
Antonyms: contentment, satisfaction, happiness
Having a untidy or disordered appearance, especially referring to hair or clothing.
“He arrived looking dishevelled after his long journey.”
Synonyms: untidy, unkempt, messy, rumpled
Antonyms: neat, tidy, groomed
Causing or suggesting sadness or gloom; depressing; extremely poor in quality.
“The weather was dismal throughout the entire holiday.”
Synonyms: gloomy, dreary, bleak, depressing
Antonyms: cheerful, bright, pleasant
To scatter or spread widely in different directions; to cause a group to break up.
“The crowd began to disperse after the concert ended.”
Synonyms: scatter, spread, dissipate, distribute
Antonyms: gather, collect, assemble
A disagreement or argument between people, or to argue and question whether something is true or correct
“The two neighbours had a dispute about where the fence should be placed.”
Synonyms: argument, disagreement, conflict
Antonyms: agreement, harmony, accord
Causing dislike or disgust; unpleasant or offensive.
“She found his jokes distasteful and inappropriate.”
Synonyms: unpleasant, offensive, disagreeable, objectionable
Antonyms: pleasant, agreeable, appealing
Clearly different or separate; easily perceived or understood.
“Each culture has its own distinct traditions.”
Synonyms: clear, definite, separate, different
Antonyms: vague, similar, indistinct
Successful and commanding great respect; dignified in appearance or manner.
“The distinguished professor received an award for her research.”
Synonyms: eminent, renowned, notable, celebrated
Antonyms: unknown, ordinary, undistinguished
Extreme anxiety, sorrow, or pain; to cause someone anxiety or suffering.
“The news caused great distress to the family.”
Synonyms: anguish, suffering, upset, torment
Antonyms: comfort, relief, ease
Of, from, or relating to God or a god; heavenly; to discover by intuition or insight.
“The ancient Greeks believed in divine intervention.”
Synonyms: heavenly, godly, sacred, celestial
Antonyms: earthly, mortal, mundane
The state or quality of being divine; a god or goddess; the study of religion.
“Many cultures have stories about the divinity of nature.”
Synonyms: godliness, deity, holiness, sacredness
Antonyms: mortality, humanity, worldliness
Relating to the home, household, or family; relating to one's own country, not foreign.
“Domestic chores include cooking, cleaning, and laundry.”
Synonyms: household, home, family, national
Antonyms: foreign, international, wild
A measured quantity of medicine to be taken at one time; an amount of something.
“Take one dose of the medicine three times a day.”
Synonyms: amount, quantity, measure, portion
A prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall leading to a shortage of water.
“The drought lasted for three years and devastated crops.”
Synonyms: dry spell, aridity, dryness, water shortage
Antonyms: flood, deluge, rainfall
Unable to speak; temporarily speechless with shock or surprise (note: avoid using to mean unintelligent).
“She was struck dumb by the unexpected news.”
Synonyms: speechless, mute, silent, voiceless
Antonyms: speaking, vocal, articulate
A house, flat, or other place of residence where someone lives.
“The cave served as a dwelling for early humans.”
Synonyms: residence, home, abode, habitation
The interactive word list adds British audio pronunciation, memory tips and progress tracking for every word — and our 6 free vocabulary games turn revision into play.