English dictionary — definitions & meanings

deride

verb

To laugh at or mock (someone or something) harshly; to ridicule, to scorn.

derision

noun

Act of treating with disdain.

derisive

adj

Expressing or characterized by derision; mocking; ridiculing.

derisively

adv

In a derisive manner; demeaningly, mockingly.

derivate

noun

Something derived; a derivative.

derivation

noun

A leading or drawing off of water from a stream or source.

derivative

adj

Copying or imitating someone else's work rather than being original.

derive

verb

To get or obtain something from a particular source.

derived

adj

Obtained or developed from something else; not original.

dermarolling

noun

Synonym of microneedling.

dermatitis

noun

Inflammation of the skin, typically appearing as redness, itching, swelling, dryness or blistering. It is a general term covering several distinct conditions with different causes rather than a single disease.

dermatologist

noun

A doctor who specializes in treating skin conditions.

Dermot

name

A masculine given name of Irish origin, an anglicized form of Diarmaid, meaning "free of envy."

dern

noun

A secret; secrecy.

dero

noun

A homeless person, a tramp; a social derelict, especially an alcoholic.

derogate

verb

To partially repeal (a law etc.).

derogatory

adj

Showing a low opinion of someone or something; disrespectful and insulting.

derp

intj

Draws attention to an act of foolishness or stupidity.

derpy

adj

Foolish, silly.

derrick

noun

A tall framework used to lift and move heavy objects, or to support drilling equipment.

Derry

noun

A feeling of dislike toward someone or something (chiefly in the phrase "have a derry on").

derv

noun

Diesel fuel for motor vehicles.

Dervish

noun

A member of a Sufi Muslim order known for ascetic living and, in some traditions, ritual spinning dances.

des

name

A short, informal form of the given name Desmond.

desacralize

verb

To remove the sacredness of.

desai

noun

Historically in western and southern India, a local official or hereditary chief in charge of a district.

desalinate

verb

To remove the salt from something, especially from seawater for use in a domestic water supply

desalt

verb

To remove salt from; to desalinate.

descale

verb

To remove scale from the surface of a metal, especially from the inner surfaces of boilers etc.

descant

noun

A lengthy discourse on a subject.

Descartes

name

A French surname, notably borne by the philosopher and mathematician René Descartes.

descend

verb

To move from a higher place to a lower one; to go down.

descendant

noun

A person related to someone who lived in an earlier generation, such as a child, grandchild, or later relative.

descending

adj

Moving or leading downward.

descension

noun

Descent; the act of descending.

descent

noun

The act of coming down from a higher place, or a downward slope or path.

descrambler

noun

Something that descrambles; a device for decoding a scrambled signal.

describable

adj

Capable of being described.

describe

verb

To put something into words, giving an account of what it is like.

described

verb

Past tense and past participle of describe: to have said or written what someone or something is like.

description

noun

A written or spoken account of what something is like.

descriptive

adj

Giving a detailed account or picture of something in words.

descriptivism

noun

The practice of describing realistic forms, as opposed to prescribing idealistic norms, of linguistic usage.

descriptor

noun

That which describes; a word, phrase, etc. serving as a description.

descry

verb

To announce a discovery: to disclose; to reveal.

Desdemona

name

A feminine given name of Greek origin, meaning "ill-fated," best known as the tragic heroine of Shakespeare's Othello.

desecrate

verb

To treat something sacred with disrespect or damage it in a way that violates its holiness.

desecrated

adj

Treated with disrespect in a way that violates its sacredness; defiled.

desecration

noun

An act that disrespects or violates something sacred.

desegregation

noun

The act or process of eliminating segregation.

deselect

verb

To not select; to rule out of selection.

deserialize

verb

To parse (serialized data) so as to reconstruct the original object.

desert

noun

A large, dry area of land with little rainfall, vegetation, or water, often sandy or rocky.

deserted

adj

Empty of people; abandoned.

deserter

noun

Someone who has left their military post without permission and does not intend to return.

desertion

noun

The act of abandoning a duty, post, or person, especially without permission.

deserve

verb

To have earned or be entitled to something, whether good or bad, because of your past actions.

deserved

adj

Earned or merited; fair given the circumstances.

deserving

adj

Worthy of reward, help, or praise.

desex

verb

To remove another's sexual characteristics or functions, often via physical sterilization.

desexualize

verb

To divest of sexual attributes; to render conceptually asexual.

deshielding

noun

The situation, in NMR spectroscopy, in which a local magnetic field is strengthened by the presence of neighbouring nuclei

Desi

adj

Relating to the people, culture, or products of South Asia and its diaspora.

desiccated

adj

Completely dried out, with all moisture removed.

desiccation

noun

The state or process of being desiccated

design

noun

A plan showing how something should look, function, or be built.

designate

verb

To officially choose or name someone or something for a particular role or purpose.

designated

adj

Officially chosen or set aside for a specific purpose.

designation

noun

The act of officially naming or selecting something, or the name/title given.

designed

adj

Made according to a deliberate plan; created with a specific purpose in mind.

designedly

adv

By design; intentionally; according to plan.

designee

noun

One who has been designated

designer

noun

A person who plans the look, structure, or function of something, often as their job.

designing

adj

Scheming or plotting, usually for selfish gain.

desirability

noun

The state of being desirable.

desirable

adj

Worth wanting; pleasing or attractive.

desirableness

noun

The quality of being desirable.

desire

verb

To want something strongly.

desired

adj

Wanted or wished for.

Desiree

name

A feminine given name of French origin, meaning "desired."

desiring

noun

A strong wish or longing for something.

desirous

adj

Feeling desire; eagerly wishing; eager to obtain.

desist

verb

To stop doing something, often used as a formal or legal instruction.

desk

noun

A piece of furniture with a flat surface used for writing, reading, or working, often with drawers.

desktop

noun

The flat top surface of a desk.

Desmond

noun

(British university slang) A lower second-class honours degree, informally called a "2:2."

Desna

name

A river in Ukraine and Russia, also used occasionally as a feminine given name.

desolate

adj

Empty and bleak, with no people or life around; also, extremely sad and without hope.

desolation

noun

A state of complete emptiness or ruin, often after destruction.

DeSoto

name

A Spanish surname, notably borne by the explorer Hernando de Soto, and a former American car brand named after him.

despair

noun

A total loss of hope.

despairing

adj

Showing or feeling a total loss of hope.

desparple

verb

To scatter, to disparkle.

despect

verb

To hold in contempt, to despise, to look down on, to scorn.

desperado

noun

A bold, reckless outlaw or criminal, especially one associated with the American Old West.

desperate

adjective

Willing to do almost anything because you urgently need something; driven by extreme need.

desperately

adverb

In a way that shows urgent need or a lack of hope; extremely badly.

despicable

adjective

So morally low or cruel that it deserves scorn and contempt.

despisal

noun

Contempt; scornful hatred.

despise

verb

To feel strong contempt or scorn for someone or something.

despised

adjective

Hated and held in contempt by others.

despite

preposition

Without being prevented by; even though something might suggest otherwise.

despiteful

adj

Full of despite; expressing malice or contemptuous hate.

despoil

verb

To plunder; to pillage; take spoil from.

despoina

name

the daughter of Demeter and Poseidon

despondency

noun

The loss of hope or confidence; despair or dejection.

despondent

adjective

Feeling low, discouraged, and without hope.

despot

noun

A ruler who holds total power and often uses it cruelly or unfairly; a tyrant.

despotic

adj

Of or pertaining to a despot or tyrant.

despotism

noun

Government by a despot or despots: rule by a singular authority, either a single person or a tight-knit group, which rules with absolute power, especially in a cruel and oppressive way.

desquamation

noun

The shedding of the outer layers of the skin.

dessert

noun

A sweet dish served at the end of a meal.

dessertspoon

noun

A unit of measure, being equivalent to two teaspoons or two-thirds of a tablespoon, or approximately ten millilitres; a dessertspoonful.

destabilise

verb

To make something unstable.

destabilize

verb

To make something, especially a government or region, unstable or unsettled.

destinate

verb

To destine, to choose.

destination

noun

The place someone or something is travelling to or being sent to.

destined

adjective

Certain to happen or become something, as if by fate.

destinkify

verb

To mask or remove the odor from; to deodorize.

destiny

noun

The events that will necessarily happen to someone or something in the future, especially when thought of as being outside anyone's control.

destitute

adjective

Completely without money or the basic means to live; extremely poor.

destitution

noun

The action of deserting or abandoning.

destreamline

verb

To remove the streamlining from; to undo the streamlining of.

destroy

verb

To damage something so severely that it no longer exists or can't be repaired.

destroyed

adjective

Ruined or wrecked beyond repair.

destroyer

noun

Someone or something that destroys.

destruct

verb

To destroy something deliberately, especially as part of a built-in mechanism.

destructible

adj

Liable to destruction; capable of being destroyed.

destruction

noun

The act of destroying something, or the state of having been destroyed.

destructive

adjective

Causing or tending to cause serious damage.

desublimate

verb

To undergo desublimation; to change directly from a gas to a solid.

desulfurize

verb

To remove the sulfur from something (such as petroleum or flue gases).

desultory

adj

Jumping, or passing, from one thing or subject to another, without order, planning, or rational connection; lacking logical sequence.

desume

verb

To borrow, extract, or select.

detach

verb

To remove or separate something from what it was attached to.

detached

adjective

Not physically joined to anything else; standing separately.

detachment

noun

A lack of emotional involvement; an attitude of calm distance.

detail

noun

A small, specific fact or feature, especially one easy to overlook.

detail oriented

adjective

Careful and thorough about small particulars, so that mistakes, gaps and inconsistencies are caught. Usually hyphenated before a noun and most often used of people at work.

detailed

adjective

Full of specific facts and description; thorough.

detailing

noun

A thorough explanation of something, covering its specific points.

detain

verb

To officially hold someone, preventing them from leaving.

detained

adjective

Held in custody, or delayed from proceeding.

detainee

noun

A person held in official custody, especially without being formally charged with a crime.

detaining

noun

The act of holding someone back or keeping them in custody.

detainment

noun

The state or act of being held in custody; detention.

detect

verb

To discover or notice something, often through careful observation or testing.

detectable

adjective

Able to be noticed or found, especially by testing or careful observation.

detected

adjective

Noticed or discovered.

detecting

noun

The act of discovering or noticing something.