cutting edge n. the forefront; the vanguard. The company is on the cutting edge of computer innovation.
cynical adj. (SIN ik ul) prone to questioning the true motives of others; distrustful and skeptical. The ex-convict claimed to have a purely altruistic reason for raising money for charity, but his parole officer was cynical.
dark horse n. one who is little-known and not expected to win but may take people by surprise; an underdog. The candidate is a dark horse, hardly known outside of his home state and is not expected to win many votes.
dauntless adj. (DAWNT less) bold and unafraid.
In times of war, the dauntless and aggressive general would be difficult to stop.
debacle n. (di BAH kul) a terrible failure, disaster or collapse. Expecting a debacle on Wall Street, Mary cashed in all of her stocks and invested the money in bonds.
debilitate vb. (di BIL i TAYT) to cripple or handicap. Some sports injuries debilitate more than others, but broken bones tend to take the longest to heal.
debonair adj. (deb uh NARE) graciously friendly and smooth; suave. A lifetime of social polishing had made the prince particularly debonair.
decadent adj. (DEK uh dunt) designating unrestrained indulgence leading to deterioration or decay. Her decadent lifestyle will eventually prove her undoing.
decorum n. (di KOR um) proper manners and conduct, as expected during a formal occasion. A certain decorum is expected at funerals, so please restrain your children.
defame vb. (di FAYM) to undermine the reputation of another through slander or libel. If this newspaper defames me one more time, I will sue for libel.
deference n. (DEF ur uns) the yielding of one to another, out of respect or obligation; submission. In deference to the company, I stated only positive things about the CEO.
definitive adj. (di FIN uh tiv) authoritative, conclusive. The famous English professor wrote the definitive guide to good grammar.
deft adj. (DEFT) highly skilled. The nurse reassured me that the surgeon was particularly deft in removing tonsils.
defunct adj. (di FUNGT) no longer operating or existing; out of business. The shoe repair business that once operated on Main Street is now, sadly, defunct.
deja vu n. (day zhah VOO) the haunting feeling that one has seen or experienced the same thing before. The conviction that I had visited the old house before was only deja vu; in fact, I'd never been to the place in my life.
deleterious adj. (del uh TEER ee us) harmful; damaging. Overwatering may have a deleterious effect on your houseplants.
delude vb. (du LOOD) to deceive; to fool. I like to delude myself into thinking that I'm in perfect shape, when I know I'm really twenty pounds overweight.
delusion n. (di LOO szhun) a false belief. Thinking he was the greatest human who ever lived, my boss was suffering from delusions of grandeur.
demagogue n. (DEM uh GAWG) a politician who panders to the whims and emotions of the voters in order to win them over. He was a demagogue who told the voters only what they wanted to hear, not what they needed to hear.
democracy n. (de MOK ru see) a government by and for the people. In a democracy, the people get to vote on who will lead them.
democratic adj. (dem uh KRAT ik) by and for the
people The democratic way to choose a leader is to vote.
demoralize vb. (di MOR uh lize) to strip of confidence; to dishearten. The loss of their star player served to demoralize the team.
demure adj. (di MYOOR) shy or quiet; also, affecting shyness. I was attracted to the demure girl who stood in the corner by herself.
deplorable adj. (di PLOR uh bul) terrible; grievous. After the party, our house was in deplorable condition.
depose vb. (di POZ) to remove from power. The citizens called for the authorities to depose the prince.
deride vb. (di RIDE) to ridicule. The wiseguys liked to stand at the edge of the dance floor and deride everyone's dance style.
de rigueur adj. (de ree GUHR) necessary to fulfill the rules of etiquette or fashion. Thankfully, nose rings are no longer considered de rigueur.
derision n. (duh RI szhun) hostile ridicule. His bid
to raise taxes in order to purchase an ice-skating rink was met with derision.
derivative adj. (duh RIV uh tiv) taken or borrowed from something else. His play was highly derivative and borrowed liberally from Woody Allen.
dernier cri n. (DAIR nee ay CREE) the latest thing; hip. The dernier cri of fashion is now little, boxlike hats.
derogatory adj. (di ROG uh TOHR ee) disparaging; insulting. Any more derogatory remarks about my cooking and you'll be making your own dinner.
desecrate vb. (DES uh krayt) to disrespect that which is sacred or holy; to profane. The thugs planned to desecrate the holy shrine by spraypainting it with grafitti.
despondent adj. (di SPON dunt) filled with sadness and despair. After the home team lost the game, we gave the despondent players a pat on the back for a good try.
despot n. (DES put) a dictator; an autocrat. The despot rules with an iron fist.
destitute adj. (DES ti TOOT) extremely impoverished. The destitute couple begged for dimes on the street corner.
detente n. (day TAHNT) a relief or easing of tensions or hostilities between nations. We were greatly heartened by the promise of detente between the two warring leaders.
deterrent n. (de TUR unt) that which hinders, blocks, or stops. If you're worried about burglars, a tall, barbed wire fence is a good deterrent.