1
march: Organisers expect up to 300,000 protesters to join the march.
protest: …a protest march.
rally: Supporters of the policy are reported to be gathering in Delhi for a mass rally.
demo: …an anti-racist demo.
4
display: Normally, such an outward display of affection is reserved for his mother.
show: She said goodbye to Hilda with a convincing show of affection.
de|mon|stra|tive /d I mɒ nstrət I v/ (demonstratives )
1 ADJ Someone who is demonstrative shows affection freely and openly. □ We came from the English tradition of not being demonstrative. ● de|mon|stra|tive|ly ADV □ Some children respond more demonstratively than others.
2 N‑COUNT In grammar, the words 'this', 'that', 'these', and 'those' are sometimes called demonstratives .
de|mon|stra|tor ◆◇◇ /de mənstre I tə r / (demonstrators )
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Demonstrators are people who are marching or gathering somewhere to show their opposition to something or their support for something. □ I saw the police using tear gas to try and break up a crowd of demonstrators.
2 N‑COUNT A demonstrator is a person who shows people how something works or how to do something.
de|mor|al|ize /d I mɒ rəla I z, [AM ] -mɔː r-/ (demoralizes , demoralizing , demoralized ) in BRIT, also use demoralise VERB If something demoralizes someone, it makes them lose so much confidence in what they are doing that they want to give up. □ [V n] Clearly, one of the objectives is to demoralize the enemy troops in any way they can. ● de|mor|al|ized ADJ □ The ship's crew were now exhausted and utterly demoralized.
de|mor|al|iz|ing /d I mɒ rəla I z I ŋ, [AM ] -mɔː r-/ in BRIT, also use demoralising ADJ If something is demoralizing , it makes you lose so much confidence in what you are doing that you want to give up. □ Redundancy can be a demoralising prospect.
de|mote /d I moʊ t/ (demotes , demoting , demoted )
1 VERB If someone demotes you, they give you a lower rank or a less important position than you already have, often as a punishment. □ [V n] It's very difficult to demote somebody who has been standing in during maternity leave. ● de|mo|tion /d I moʊ ʃ ə n/ (demotions ) N‑VAR □ He is seeking redress for what he alleges was an unfair demotion.
2 VERB [usu passive] If a team in a sports league is demoted , that team has to compete in the next competition in a lower division, because it was one of the least successful teams in the higher division. [BRIT ] □ [be V -ed] The club was demoted at the end of last season. ● de|mo|tion N‑VAR □ The team now almost certainly faces demotion.
de|mot|ic /d I mɒ t I k/
1 ADJ Demotic language is the type of informal language used by ordinary people. [FORMAL ] □ …television's demotic style of language.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Demotic is used to describe something or someone that is typical of ordinary people. [FORMAL ] □ …demotic entertainments such as TV soap operas.
de|mur /d I mɜː r / (demurs , demurring , demurred )
1 VERB If you demur , you say that you do not agree with something or will not do something that you have been asked to do. [FORMAL ] □ [V ] The doctor demurred, but Piercey was insistent.
2 PHRASE If you do something without demur , you do it immediately and without making any protest. [FORMAL ] □ His plan was accepted without demur.
de|mure /d I mjʊə r /
1 ADJ If you describe someone, usually a young woman, as demure , you mean they are quiet and rather shy, usually in a way that you like and find appealing, and behave very correctly. [APPROVAL ] □ She's very demure and sweet. ● de|mure|ly ADV [usu ADV with v] □ She smiled demurely.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Demure clothes do not reveal your body and they give the impression that you are shy and behave correctly. [WRITTEN ] □ …a demure high-necked white blouse. ● de|mure|ly ADV [ADV -ed, ADV after v] □ She was demurely dressed in a black woollen suit.
de|mu|tu|alize /diː mjuː tʃuəla I z/ (demutualizes , demutualizing , demutualized ) in BRIT, also use demutualise VERB If a building society or insurance company demutualizes , it abandons its mutual status and becomes a limited company. [BRIT , BUSINESS ] □ [V ] 97 per cent of the group's members support its plans to demutualize. [Also V n] ● de|mu|tu|ali|za|tion /diː mjuːtʃuəla I ze I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ Policyholders voted for demutualisation.
de|mys|ti|fy /diː m I st I fa I / (demystifies , demystifying , demystified ) VERB If you demystify something, you make it easier to understand by giving a clear explanation of it. □ [V n] This book aims to demystify medical treatments.
den /de n/ (dens )
1 N‑COUNT A den is the home of certain types of wild animals such as lions or foxes.
2 N‑COUNT Your den is a quiet room in your house where you can go to study, work, or carry on a hobby without being disturbed. [AM ]
3 N‑COUNT A den is a secret place where people meet, usually for a dishonest purpose. □ I could provide you with the addresses of at least three illegal drinking dens.
4 N‑COUNT If you describe a place as a den of a particular type of bad or illegal behaviour, you mean that a lot of that type of behaviour goes on there. □ [+ of ] …the one-bedroomed flat that was to become his den of savage debauchery.