GRE wordlist D(part 1)

dabble work at in a nonserious fashion; splash around; move noisily in a liquid
dainty delicate; delicately beautiful; fastidious; not easy to please; Ex. dainty movement/dress
dais raised platform for speakers or other important people
dally trifle with; toy with; treat without the necessary seriousness; procrastinate; waste time
damn condemn; criticize severely; condemn to everlasting punishment; doom; bring to ruin; N. damnation
dank damp; unpleasantly wet
dapper neat and trim (in appearance); (of small men) neat in appearance and quick in movements; neat; spry
dappled spotted
dart move or throw suddenly and quickly
daub smear (as with paint); cover with something sticky; Ex. daub one’s clothes with mud/paint; N: small bit of sticky substance; Ex. a daub of paint
daunt intimidate; frighten; discourage; dishearten
dauntless bold; fearless
dawdle loiter; hang around; waste time doing nothing
daze stun as with a blow or shock; bemuse; benumb; N.
dazzle make blind with a sudden intense light; amaze; fill with wonder
deadlock standstill resulting from the opposition of two unrelenting forces; stalemate
deadpan wooden; impassive; with no show of feeling; with an expressionless face
dearth scarcity
debacle sudden disastrous downfall or defeat; complete disaster
debar bar; forbid; exclude; Ex. debarred from jury services
debase degrade; reduce in quality or value; degenerate; lower in esteem; disgrace; N. debasement
debauch corrupt morally; seduce from virtue; N. debauchery: wild behavior (with sex and alcohol)
debilitate weaken (esp. through heat, hunger, illness); enfeeble
debonair (of men) friendly, charming, and fashionably dressed; aiming to please; CF. of good disposition
debris rubble; wreckage; scattered remains of something broken or destroyed
debunk expose as false, exaggerated, worthless, etc.; ridicule
debut d\’ebut; first public appearance; formal presentation of a young woman to society
debutante young woman making formal entrance into society
decadence decay; fall to a lower level (of morality, civilization, or art); ADJ. decadent
decant pour off gently (wine or liquid)
decapitate behead
decelerate slow down
deciduous falling off at a specific season or stage of growth as of leaves; Ex. deciduous tree/teeth
decimate kill (usually one out of ten or every tenth man); destroy or kill a large part of
decipher decode; CF. indecipherable
declivity downward slope
decollete (of a dress) having a low-cut neckline; CF. d\’ecolletage: low neckline (on a dress)
decomposition decay; V. decompose: decay; break and separate into simple parts
decorous proper (in behavior, conduct, or appearance)
decorum propriety; orderliness and good taste in manners; appropriateness of behavior or conduct
decoy lure or bait; V.
decree authoritative order; edict; judgment of a court of law; V: order or judge by decree
decrepit weak and in bad condition from old age or hard use; Ex. decrepit old chair/man
decrepitude state of collapse or weakness caused by illness or old age
decry express strong disapproval of; condemn openly (something dangerous to the public); disparage; Ex. decry the violence of modern films
deducible derived by reasoning; V. deduce: infer; derive by reasoning
deface mar; disfigure
defalcate embezzle
defame harm someone’s reputation; malign; speak evil of; slander; N. defamation; ADJ. defamatory
default failure to act; failure to perform a task or be present; V.
defeatist resigned to defeat or failure; accepting defeat or failure as a natural outcome; N. CF. defeatism
defect shortcoming; V: desert (in order to join the opposite one)
defection desertion
defer give in respectfully; submit; delay till later; exempt temporarily; N. deferment; CF. show respect, comply with, courteous
deference courteous regard for another’s wish; courteous yielding to another’s wish or opinion (showing respect); ADJ. deferential; OP. effrontery
defiance refusal to yield; resistance; V. defy; ADJ. defiant
defile pollute; make filthy or dirty; corrupt morally; profane; desecrate; N: narrow passage or gorge through mountains
definitive most reliable; authorative and complete; that cannot be improved; conclusive; decisive; definite; Ex. definitive decision by the supreme court
deflect turn aside; turn away from a straight course
defoliate destroy leaves; deprive of leaves (by the use of chemicals); N. defoliant
defray provide for the payment of; undertake the payment of; pay
defrock strip a priest or minister of church authority; unfrock
deft neat; skillful
defunct dead; no longer in use or existence
degenerate become worse in quality; deteriorate; ADJ: having become worse; Ex. a degenerate species; N: depraved or corrupt person
degradation humiliation; debasement; degeneration; V. degrade: debase; disgrace; degenerate; reduce (something) in worth; demote (someone); reduce in rank
dehydrate remove water from; dry out
deify turn into a god; make a god of; idolize; Ex. Kings were deified; CF. deity
deign condescend; stoop
delete erase; strike out
deleterious harmful
deliberate consider; ponder; ADJ: done on purpose; slow