Antonyms: Words Starting with D

Antonyms are words with opposite meanings. Below is a list of important words starting with D along with their meanings and example sentences.

Word Definition, Antonyms, and Example Sentences

1. Deceit (Noun) 🔊
  1. Meaning: The act of deceiving; dishonest behavior meant to mislead someone.
  2. Antonyms: Honesty, Truthfulness, Sincerity, Integrity
  3. Use in Sentence:
    • Her honesty stood in sharp contrast to his deceit.
    • A relationship based on truthfulness cannot survive deceit.
2. Decipher (Verb) 🔊
  1. Meaning: To interpret or understand something difficult to read or comprehend.
  2. Antonyms: Confuse, Obscure, Misinterpret, Complicate
  3. Use in Sentence:
    • Instead of deciphering the text, the smudges only obscured it further.
    • His handwriting was so poor that it completely confused anyone trying to decipher it.
3. Defile (Verb) 🔊
  1. Meaning: To make something dirty, impure, or polluted.
  2. Antonyms: Purify, Cleanse, Sanitize, Respect
  3. Use in Sentence:
    • Volunteers worked to cleanse the river that had been defiled by waste.
    • The monument was purified and restored after being defiled by vandals.
4. Defray (Verb) 🔊
  1. Meaning: To cover or pay for expenses.
  2. Antonyms: Charge, Owe, Accumulate, Withhold
  3. Use in Sentence:
    • While the charity helped defray costs, some fees were still charged to participants.
    • Instead of defraying the expenses, the delay only made them accumulate.
5. Deliberate (Adj/Verb) 🔊
  1. Meaning: Done intentionally; or to think carefully before deciding.
  2. Antonyms: Accidental, Unintentional, Hasty, Impulsive
  3. Use in Sentence:
    • His deliberate actions were the opposite of her impulsive behaviour.
    • The jury took time to deliberate, not making a hasty decision.
6. Demolish (Verb) 🔊
  1. Meaning: To destroy or tear down completely.
  2. Antonyms: Build, Construct, Create, Establish
  3. Use in Sentence:
    • They decided to build a new school instead of demolishing the old one.
    • The structure they once demolished was later reconstructed.
7. Deprive (Verb) 🔊
  1. Meaning: To take something necessary away from someone.
  2. Antonyms: Provide, Give, Supply, Endow
  3. Use in Sentence:
    • Good parenting aims to provide opportunities, not deprive children of them.
    • They were finally supplied with resources they had long been deprived of.
8. Deride (Verb) 🔊
  1. Meaning: To mock or ridicule someone.
  2. Antonyms: Praise, Appreciate, Admire, Encourage
  3. Use in Sentence:
    • Instead of deriding her ideas, they began to appreciate them.
    • The coach encouraged players rather than deriding their mistakes.
9. Disdain (Noun/Verb) 🔊
  1. Meaning: A feeling of strong disrespect or contempt.
  2. Antonyms: Respect, Admiration, Approval, Regard
  3. Use in Sentence:
    • She treated everyone with respect rather than disdain.
    • His tone shifted from disdain to admiration.
10. Dissuade (Verb) 🔊
  1. Meaning: To persuade someone not to do something.
  2. Antonyms: Persuade, Encourage, Convince, Urge
  3. Use in Sentence:
    • They tried to dissuade him, but she managed to persuade him instead.
    • Instead of dissuading her from studying abroad, they encouraged her.
11. Denounce (Verb) 🔊
  1. Meaning: To publicly condemn or criticize.
  2. Antonyms: Praise, Support, Approve, Endorse
  3. Use in Sentence:
    • The act they once denounced was later praised after the truth emerged.
    • Instead of condemnation, the project received public endorsement.
12. Dense (Adjective) 🔊
  1. Meaning: Thick, tightly packed; or difficult to understand.
  2. Antonyms: Thin, Sparse, Light, Clear
  3. Use in Sentence:
    • The forest became sparse as they moved north, unlike the dense region before.
    • His explanation was more clear this time, not dense like before.
13. Derogatory (Adjective) 🔊
  1. Meaning: Showing a disrespectful or insulting attitude.
  2. Antonyms: Complimentary, Respectful, Praising, Appreciative
  3. Use in Sentence:
    • Instead of making derogatory comments, he offered complimentary feedback.
    • Her tone turned respectful rather than derogatory.
14. Despair (Noun/Verb) 🔊
  1. Meaning: A complete loss of hope.
  2. Antonyms: Hope, Optimism, Confidence, Assurance
  3. Use in Sentence:
    • Hope slowly replaced her despair.
    • Instead of falling into despair, he found optimism in small progress.
15. Destructive (Adjective) 🔊
  1. Meaning: Causing damage or harm.
  2. Antonyms: Constructive, Helpful, Productive, Beneficial
  3. Use in Sentence:
    • Their feedback became constructive instead of destructive.
    • The plan proved beneficial, not destructive.
16. Docile (Adjective) 🔊
  1. Meaning: Easily controlled or taught; gentle.
  2. Antonyms: Stubborn, Defiant, Unruly, Headstrong
  3. Use in Sentence:
    • The once docile puppy became unruly as it grew.
    • She is headstrong, not docile.
17. Dwarf (Verb) 🔊
  1. Meaning: To make something seem small in comparison.
  2. Antonyms: Magnify, Enhance, Enlarge, Elevate
  3. Use in Sentence:
    • The new skyscraper dwarfed nearby buildings, but lighting helped enhance the older ones.
    • Instead of dwarfing her achievements, they tried to magnify them.
List of Words with Antonyms
# Word Antonyms
1DeceitHonesty, Truthfulness, Sincerity, Integrity
2DecipherConfuse, Obscure, Misinterpret, Complicate
3DefilePurify, Cleanse, Sanitize, Respect
4DefrayCharge, Owe, Accumulate, Withhold
5DeliberateAccidental, Unintentional, Hasty, Impulsive
6DemolishBuild, Construct, Create, Establish
7DepriveProvide, Give, Supply, Endow
8DeridePraise, Appreciate, Admire, Encourage
9DisdainRespect, Admiration, Approval, Regard
10DissuadePersuade, Encourage, Convince, Urge
11DenouncePraise, Support, Approve, Endorse
12DenseThin, Sparse, Light, Clear
13DerogatoryComplimentary, Respectful, Praising, Appreciative
14DespairHope, Optimism, Confidence, Assurance
15DestructiveConstructive, Helpful, Productive, Beneficial
16DocileStubborn, Defiant, Unruly, Headstrong
17DwarfMagnify, Enhance, Enlarge, Elevate