decorous

Example sentences

• "The guests kept a decorous silence during the speech."

  Level C1

• "She gave a decorous nod and sat down."

  Level C1

• "His manner at the dinner was perfectly decorous."

  Level C1

• "The children were decorous for ten minutes before the noise began."

  Level C2

Synonyms and antonyms

Look-alikes and common mistakes

• decorative : Decorative means meant to make something look nice. Decorous is about proper behavior.
• decorum : Decorum is the noun for proper behavior. Decorous is the adjective.
• decrepit : Decrepit means old and in poor condition. It looks a little like decorous but is unrelated in meaning.
• prudish : Prudish means too easily shocked. Decorous is simply proper, not extreme.

Word family and forms

Forms: more decorous, most decorous

Word partners

Words and phrases that often go with "decorous".

• decorous behavior
• a decorous silence
• a decorous manner
• decorous dress
• decorously quiet
• decorous conduct

Origin

Decorous was first recorded in English in the mid 1600s. It comes from the Latin word decorus, meaning seemly or fitting, plus the English ending ous. The Latin word is related to decor, meaning ornament or grace, and to the verb decere, meaning to be fitting.

Checked against: Wiktionary, the free dictionary, Dictionary.com.

How to remember it

Decorous looks like decor and decorum. Decor makes a room look right, and decorous behavior makes a person look right for the occasion.

Test yourself

Learn next at C1

• decry To publicly criticize something strongly.
• deface To spoil the surface or appearance of something, often deliberately.
• deference Respectful submission to someone's wishes, judgment, or authority.
• delimit To fix or mark the boundaries or limits of something.
• delineate To describe or explain something precisely, or to mark its outline.
• demarcation A boundary or dividing line between two things.