D

(155 words)

don’t you dare

informal

used to tell someone angrily not to do something:

I daresay; I dare say

used to say that you agree or think that something is true:

be in the dark

to not know about something that other people know about

a dash

a small amount of something, especially liquid food, that is added to something else:

dated

adjective

old-fashioned:

at the crack of dawn

very early in the morning, especially at the time when the sun first appears:

dawn on sb

If a fact dawns on you, you understand it after a period of not understanding it:

make sb’s day

to make someone happy:

dazed

adjective

very confused and unable to think clearly:

dazzle

verb

[ T ] If light dazzles you, it makes you unable to see for a short time:

[ T usually passive ] If you are dazzled by someone or something, you think they are extremely good and exciting:

dazzling

adjective

A dazzling light is so bright that you cannot see for a short time after looking at it:

extremely attractive or exciting:

dead

adjective

NOT LIVING

mainly uk If a part of your body is dead, you cannot feel it:

BORING

If a place is dead, it is too quiet and nothing interesting happens there:

to death

until you die:

debate

verb

[ I or T ] to discuss a subject in a formal way:

decaffeinated

adjective

Decaffeinated coffee or tea from has had the caffeine (= a chemical substance) removed.

decay

noun [ U ]

the process of decaying:

deceased

adjective formal

dead:

the deceased

a person who has recently died:

deception

noun [ C or U ]

the act of hiding the truth, especially to get an advantage:

deceptive

adjective

making you believe something that is not true:

decide

verb

[ T ] to be the reason or situation that makes a particular result happen:

deciding

adjective [ before noun ]

A deciding event or action is more important than the rest because the final result, decision, or choice is changed by it:

decisively

adverb

dedicate

verb [ T ]

If you dedicate a book, play, performance, etc. to someone, you publicly say that it is in that person’s honour:

dedicated

adjective

designed to be used for one particular purpose:

deduce

verb [ T ]

to reach an answer or a decision by thinking carefully about the known facts:

deduction

noun

[ C or U ] the process of reaching a decision or answer by thinking about the known facts, or the decision that is reached:

deem

verb [ T not continuous ] formal

to consider or judge something in a particular way:

deep

adjective

showing or needing serious thought, or not easy to understand:

deep in thought

thinking very hard:

jump in at the deep end; throw sb in at the deep end

If you jump or are thrown in at the deep end, you start doing something new and difficult without help or preparation.

run/go deep

If a feeling or problem runs deep, it is strong or serious and has existed for a long time:

deepen

verb

[ I or T ] to become more strongly felt or experienced, or to make something this way:

defective

adjective

Something that is defective has a fault in it and does not work correctly:

the defence

the person or people in a law case who have been accused of doing something illegal, and their lawyer(s):

defensive

adjective

too quick to protect yourself from being criticized:

definitive

adjective

not able to be changed or improved:

defy

verb [ T ]

to refuse to obey a person, decision, law, situation, etc.:

defy belief/description/explanation

to be extreme or very strange and therefore impossible to believe, describe, or explain:

delegate

verb

[ I or T ] to give a particular job, duty, right, etc. to someone else so that they do it for you:

delegation

noun

[ C, + sing/pl verb ] a group of delegates:

delicate

adjective

having a thin, attractive shape:

demolish

verb [ T ]

to prove that an argument or theory is wrong:

demonstrate

verb

[ T ] to express or show that you have a particular feeling, quality, or ability:

denial

noun

[ C ] a statement that something is not true or does not exist:

[ C ] a statement that someone has not done something

dependence

noun [ S or U ] US also dependance also dependency

the situation in which you need something or someone all the time, especially in order to continue existing or operating:

depict

verb [ T ]

to represent or show something in a picture or story:

deposit

noun

[ C or U ] a substance or layer that is left, usually after a liquid is removed:

[ C ] specialized geology a layer that has formed under the ground, especially over a long period:

depressed

adjective

not having enough money, jobs, or business activity:

depression

noun

[ C ] a period in which there is very little business activity and not many jobs:

deprivation

noun [ C or U ]

a situation in which you do not have things or conditions that are usually considered necessary for a pleasant life:

depth

noun

[ C or U ] the fact of a feeling, state, or characteristic being strong, extreme, or detailed:

out of your depth

not having the knowledge, experience, or skills to deal with a particular subject or situation:

be descended from sb

to be related to a particular person or group of people who lived in the past:

descendant

noun [ C ]

a person who is related to you and who lives after you, such as your child or grandchild:

desired

adjective

that is wanted:

desperate

adjective

very serious or bad:

desperation

noun [ U ]

the feeling that you have when you are in such a bad situation that you are willing to take risks in order to change it:

detached

adjective

A detached person does not show any emotional involvement or interest in a situation:

deterrent

noun [ C ]

something that deters people from doing something:

detrimental

adjective formal

causing harm or damage:

devastating

adjective

causing a lot of damage or destruction:

develop

verb

[ I ] to start to happen or exist:

developer

noun

[ C ] a person or company that makes money from buying land, building new houses, offices, etc., or by changing existing buildings to sell or rent:

leave sb to their own devices

to allow someone to make their own decisions about what to do:

devil

noun

[ C ] informal someone, especially a child, who behaves badly:

devise

verb [ T ]

to invent a plan, system, object, etc., usually using your intelligence or imagination:

diagnose

verb [ T ]

to recognize and name the exact character of a disease or a problem, by examining it:

diagnosis

noun [ C or U ]

a judgment about what a particular illness or problem is, made after examining it:

dialect

noun [ C or U ]

a form of a language that people speak in a particular part of a country, containing some different words and grammar, etc.:

dialogue/dialog

noun [ C or U ]

formal talks between opposing countries, political groups, etc.:

diarrhoea/diarrhea

noun [ U ]

an illness in which the body’s solid waste is more liquid than usual and comes out of the body more often:

dice

noun [ C ]

a small cube (= object with six equal square sides) with a different number of spots on each side, used in games involving chance:

verb

[ T ] to cut food into small squares:

die down

If a sound or activity dies down, it becomes quieter or less obvious:

difference

noun

[ C usually plural ] a disagreement:

differentiate

verb

[ T ] to make someone or something different:

dignified

adjective

controlled, serious, and calm, and therefore deserving respect:

dignity

noun [ U ]

calm, serious, and controlled behaviour that makes people respect you:

beneath your dignity

If something is beneath your dignity, you feel that you are too important to do it:

dim

adjective

not giving or having much light:

verb [ I or T ]

to (make something) become less bright:

a dim memory, recollection, etc.

something that you remember slightly, but not very well:

diplomacy

noun [ U ]

the management of relationships between countries:

approving skill in dealing with people without offending or upsetting them:

diplomatic

adjective

approving acting in a way that does not cause offence:

direction

noun

[ C or U ] the way that someone or something changes or develops:

at a disadvantage

in a situation in which you are less likely to succeed than others:

disc/disk

noun [ C ]

a small piece of cartilage (= strong body tissue that stretches) between the bones in your back

discipline

noun

[ C ] a particular area of study, especially a subject studied at a college or university

disclose

verb [ I or T ] formal

to make something known publicly, or to show something that was hidden:

discreet

adjective

careful not to cause embarrassment or attract too much attention, especially by keeping something secret:

discretion

noun [ U ]

the ability to behave without causing embarrassment or attracting too much attention, especially by keeping information secret:

discriminate

verb

[ I + adv/prep ] formal to be able to see the difference between two things or people:

be a disgrace to sb/sth

to be so bad or unacceptable that you make people lose respect for the group or activity you are connected to:

disguise

verb [ T ]

to hide an opinion, a feeling, etc.:

disgust

noun [ U ]

a strong feeling of disapproval and dislike at a situation, person’s behaviour, etc.:

disillusioned

adjective

disappointed and unhappy because of discovering the truth about something or someone that you liked or respected:

disloyal

adjective

not supporting someone that you should support:

dismay

noun [ U ]

a feeling of unhappiness and disappointment:

disorder

noun

[ U ] a state of untidiness or lack of organization:

display

verb [ T ]

to show a feeling:

noun

[ C or U ] the fact of someone showing how they feel:

disposable

adjective

A disposable product is intended to be thrown away after use:

be disposed to do sth

to be willing or likely to do something:

disposition

noun

[ C usually singular ] the particular type of character that a person naturally has:

dispute

noun [ C or U ]

an argument or disagreement, especially an official one between, for example, workers and employers or two countries with a common border:

verb [ I or T ]

to disagree with something that someone says:

beyond (all) dispute

certainly:

disqualify

verb [ T ]

to stop someone from being in a competition or doing something because they are unsuitable or they have done something wrong:

disrespectful

adjective

disruptive

adjective

causing trouble and therefore stopping something from continuing as usual:

dissolve

verb

[ I or T ] (of a solid) to be absorbed by a liquid, especially when mixed, or (of a liquid) to absorb a solid:

distant

adjective

part of your family but not closely related:

distinction

noun

[ S ] the quality of being special or different:

distress

noun [ U ]

a situation in which you are suffering or are in great danger and therefore in urgent need of help:

disturb

verb [ T ]

to cause someone to be worried or upset:

disturbance

noun [ C or U ]

violence or trouble:

dive in/dive into sth

to start doing something suddenly and energetically, often without stopping to think:

divert

verb [ T ]

to cause something or someone to change direction:

DNA

noun [ U ] specialized

deoxyribonucleic acid: the chemical, present at the centre of the cells of living things, that controls the structure and purpose of each cell and carries genetic information during reproduction

dole sth out

informal

to give something, usually money, to several people

dominance

noun [ U ]

donor

noun [ C ]

a person who gives some of their blood or a part of their body to help someone who is ill:

a person who gives money or goods to an organization:

doom

noun [ U ]

death, destruction, or any very bad situation that cannot be avoided:

behind closed doors

If something happens behind closed doors, it is hidden or kept secret from public view:

doorway

noun [ C ]

the space in a wall where a door opens, or a covered area just outside a door

on the dot

exactly at the stated or expected time:

cast doubt on sth

to make something seem uncertain:

beyond a shadow of a doubt

If you know or believe something beyond a shadow of a doubt, you are certain that it is true:

be down to sb

informal

to be someone’s responsibility or decision:

down under

informal

(in or to) Australia or New Zealand:

down-and-out

adjective

having no luck, no money, and no opportunities:

downhill

adverb, adjective

(moving) towards the bottom of a hill:

go downhill

to gradually become worse:

drag

verb

PULL

[ T + adv/prep ] to make someone go somewhere they do not want to go:

BORING

[ I ] If something such as a film or performance drags, it seems to go slowly because it is boring:

The first half of the movie was interesting but the second half dragged (on).
*That being said, we all have moments when time just seems to drag on.

drain

REMOVE LIQUID

verb

[ I or T ] If you drain something, you remove the liquid from it, usually by pouring it away or allowing it to flow away, and if something drains, liquid flows away or out of it:

MAKE TIRED

[ T ] to make someone very tired:

REDUCE

[ I or T ] to reduce or cause something to reduce:

PIPE

noun

[ C ] a pipe or channel that is used to carry away waste matter and water from a building, or an opening in the road that rain water can flow down:

REDUCE

[ S ] something that uses more of your energy, money, or time than you want to give:

down the drain

informal

If work or money is or goes down the drain, it is spoiled or wasted:

draw

MAKE

verb

[ T ] formal to make or show a comparison between things:

PULL

[ T + adv/prep ] to pull or direct something in a particular direction:

draw to a close/an end

to gradually finish:

draw the line

to never do something because you think it is wrong:

dread

verb [ T ]

to feel extremely worried or frightened about something that is going to happen or that might happen:

dread to think

used to say that you do not want to think about something because it is too worrying:

beyond your wildest dreams

to a degree or in a way you had never thought possible:

not/never in your wildest dreams

used to say that something is better than anything you could imagine or hope for:

wouldn’t dream of sth/doing sth

used to say that you would not do something because you think it is wrong or silly:

drift

verb [ I usually + adv/prep ]

to move slowly, especially as a result of outside forces, with no control over direction:

drift apart

If two people drift apart, they gradually become less friendly and their relationship ends.

drift off

to gradually start to sleep:

drive

verb

[ T ] to provide the power to keep a machine working, or to make something happen:

drop it/the subject

to stop talking about something, especially because it is upsetting or annoying:

a drop in the ocean; a drop in the bucket

a very small amount compared to the amount needed:

drought

noun [ C or U ]

a long period when there is little or no rain:

dry

adjective

disapproving If a book, talk, subject, etc. is dry, it is not interesting.

dry up

If a supply of something dries up, it ends:

dubious

adjective

thought not to be completely true or not able to be trusted:

feeling doubt or not feeling certain:

due

adjective

owed as a debt or as a right:

dump

PUT DOWN

verb [ T ]

to put down or drop something in a careless way:

END RELATIONSHIP

informal to suddenly end a romantic relationship you have been having with someone:

noun [ C ]

informal a very unpleasant and unattractive place:

(down) in the dumps

unhappy:

dynamic

adjective

continuously changing or developing: