Vocabulary for GMAT - D

dais
(n.) a raised platform at one end of a room
The dais was lowered to make the speaker look taller.

dally
(v.) to loiter; to waste time
Please do not dally or we will miss our appointment.

dank
(adj.) damp and chilly
The cellar became very dank during the winter time.

dauntless
(adj.) fearless; not discouraged
The dauntless ranger scaled the mountain to complete the rescue.

dearth
(n.) scarcity; shortage
A series of coincidental resignations left the firm with a dearth of talent.
The dearth of the coverage forced him to look for a new insurance agent.

debacle
(n.) disaster; collapse; a rout
The Securities and Exchange Commission and the stock exchanges
implemented numerous safeguards to head off another debacle on Wall
Street.

debase
(v.) to make lower in quality
The French are concerned that "Franglais," a blending of English and
French, will debase their language.

debauchery
(n.) indulgence in one's appetites
The preacher decried debauchery and urged charity.

debilitate
(v.) to enfeeble; to wear out
The phlebitis debilitated him to the point where he was unable even to
walk.
The illness will debilitate the muscles in his legs.

debonair
(adj.) having an affable manner; carefree; genial
Opening the door for another is a debonair action.

decadence
(n.) a decline in morals or art
Some believe the decadence of Nero's rule led to the fall of the empire.

deciduous
(adj.) shedding; temporary
When the leaves began to fall from the tree we learned that it was
deciduous.

decisiveness
(n.) an act of being firm or determined
Decisiveness is one of the key qualities of a successful executive.

decorous
(adj.) showing decorum; propriety, good taste
This movie provides decorous refuge from the violence and mayhem that
permeates the latest crop of Hollywood films.
The decorous suit was made of fine material.

decry
(v.) to denounce or condemn openly
The pastor decried all forms of discrimination against any minority
group.

defamation
(n.) to harm a name or reputation; to slander
The carpenter felt that the notoriousness of his former partner brought
defamation to his construction business.

deference
(n.) a yielding of opinion; courteous respect for
To avoid a confrontation, the man showed deference to his friend.
The deference shown to the elderly woman's opinion was heartwarming.

deferential
(adj.) yielding to the opinion of another
After debating students living in the Sixth Ward for months, the mayor's
deferential statements indicated that he had come to some understanding
with them.

defunct
(adj.) no longer living or existing
The man lost a large sum of money when the company went defunct.

deign
(v.) condescend; stoop
He said he wouldn't deign to dignify her statement with a response.
Fired from his job as a programmer analyst, Joe vowed he would never
deign to mop floors-even if he were down to his last penny.

deleterious
(adj.) harmful; hurtful; noxious
Deleterious fumes escaped from the overturned truck.

deliberate
(v.; adj.) to consider carefully; weigh in the mind; intentional
The jury deliberated for three days before reaching a verdict.
The brother's deliberate attempt to get his sibling blamed for his mistake
was obvious to all.

delineate
(v.) to outline; to describe
She delineated her plan so that everyone would have a basic
understanding of it.

deliquesce
(v.) to dissolve
The snow deliquesced when the temperature rose.

delusion
(n.) a false belief or opinion
The historian suffered from the delusion that he was Napoleon.

demise
(n.) ceasing to exist as in death
The demise of Gimbels followed years of decline.

demur
(v.; n.) to object; objection; misgiving
She hated animals, so when the subject of buying a cat came up, she
demurred.
She said yes, but he detected a demur in her voice.
She was nominated to sit on the committee, but she demurred.
The council president called for a vote, and hearing no demur, asked for
a count by the clerk.

denigrate
(v.) to defame, to blacken or sully; to belittle
After finding out her evil secret, he announced it to the council and
denigrated her in public.
Her attempt to denigrate the man's name was not successful.

denounce
(v.) to speak out against; condemn
A student rally was called to denounce the use of drugs on campus.

depict
(v.) to portray; describe
The mural depicts the life of a typical urban dweller.

deplete
(v.) to reduce; to empty, exhaust
Having to pay the entire bill will deplete the family's savings.

deposition
(n.) a removal from office or power; a testimony
Failing to act lawfully could result in his deposition.
She met with her lawyer this morning to review her deposition.

depravity
(n.) moral corruption; badness
Drugs and money caused depravity throughout the once decorous
community.
The depravity of the old man was bound to land him in jail one day.

deprecate
(v.) to express disapproval of; to protest against
The environmentalists deprecated the paper companies for cutting down
ancient forests.
The organization will deprecate the opening of the sewage plant.

depredation
(n.) a plundering or laying waste
The pharaoh's once rich tomb was empty after centuries of depredation
from grave robbers.

deride
(v.) to laugh at with contempt; to mock
No matter what he said, he was derided.
It is impolite to deride someone even if you dislike him.

derision
(n.) the act of mocking; ridicule, mockery
A day of derision from the boss left the employee feeling depressed.
Constant derision from classmates made him quit school.

derisive
(adj.) showing disrespect or scorn for
The derisive comment was aimed at the man's life long enemy.

derogatory
(adj.) belittling; uncomplimentary
He was upset because his annual review was full of derogatory
comments.

descant
(v.) lengthy talking or writing
The man will descant on the subject if you give him too much speaking
time.

desecrate
(v.) to profane; violate the sanctity of
The teenagers' attempt to desecrate the church disturbed the community.

desist
(v.) to stop or cease
The judge ordered the man to desist from calling his ex-wife in the
middle of the night.

desolate
(adj.) to be left alone or made lonely
Driving down the desolate road had Kelvin worried that he wouldn't
reach a gas station in time.

despoil
(v.) to take everything; plunder
The Huns despoiled village after village.

despotism
(n.) tyranny; absolute power or influence
The ruler's despotism went uncontested for 30 years.

destitute
(adj.) poor; poverty-stricken
One Bangladeshi bank makes loans to destitute citizens so that they may
overcome their poverty.
Many of the city's sections are destitute.

desultory
(adj.) moving in a random, directionless manner
The thefts were occurring in a desultory manner making them difficult to
track.

detached
(adj.) separated; not interested; standing alone
Detached from modern conveniences, the islanders live a simple,
unhurried life.

deter
(v.) to prevent; to discourage; hinder
He deterred the rabbits by putting down garlic around the garden.

determinate
(adj.) distinct limits
The new laws were very determinate as far as what was allowed and
what was not allowed.

devoid
(adj.) lacking; empty
The interplanetary probe indicated that the planet was devoid of any
atmosphere.

dexterous
(adj.) skillful, quick mentally or physically
The dexterous gymnast was the epitome of grace on the balance beam.

diatribe
(n.) a bitter or abusive speech
During the divorce hearings she delivered a diatribe full of the emotion
pushing her away from her husband.
The diatribe was directed towards a disrespectful supervisor.

dichotomy
(n.) a division into two parts or kinds
The dichotomy within the party threatens to split it.
The dichotomy between church and state renders school prayer
unconstitutional.

dictum
(n.) a formal statement of either fact or opinion
Computer programmers have a dictum: garbage in, garbage out.

didactic
(adj.) instructive; dogmatic; preachy
Our teacher's didactic technique boosted our scores.
The didactic activist was not one to be swayed.

diffidence
(n.) a hesitation in asserting oneself
A shy person may have great diffidence when forced with a problem.

diffident
(adj.) timid; lacking self-confidence
The director is looking for a self-assured actor, not a diffident one.
Her diffident sister couldn't work up the courage to ask for the sale.

diffuse
(adj.) spread out; verbose (wordy); not focused
The toys were discovered in a diffuse manner after the birthday party.
His monologue was so diffuse that all his points were lost.

digress
(v.) stray from the subject; wander from topic
It is important to not digress from the plan of action.

dilettante
(n.) an admirer of the fine arts; a dabbler
Though she played the piano occasionally, she was more of a dilettante.

diligence
(n.) hard work
Anything can be accomplished with diligence and commitment.

diminutive
(adj.; n.) smaller than average; a small person; a word, expressing
smallness, formed when a suffix is added
They lived in a diminutive house.
The diminutive woman could not see over the counter.

din
(n.) a noise which is loud and continuous
The din of the jackhammers reverberated throughout the concrete
canyon.

dint
(n.) strength
The dint of the bridge could hold trucks weighing many tons.

dirge
(n.) a hymn for a funeral; a song or poem expressing lament
The mourners sang a traditional Irish dirge .

disapprobation
(n.) disapproval
Her disapprobation of her daughter's fiancZ' divided the family.

disarray
(n.) (state of) disorder
The thief left the house in disarray.

disavow
(v.) to deny; to refuse to acknowledge
The actor has disavowed the rumor.

discerning
(adj.) distinguishing one thing from another; having good judgment
He has a discerning eye for knowing the original from the copy.
Being discerning about a customer's character is a key qualification for a
loan officer.

discomfit
(v.) to frustrate the expectations of
The close game discomfited the number one player.

discord
(n.) disagreement; lack of harmony
There was discord amidst the jury, and therefore a decision could not be
made.

discourse
(v.) to converse; to communicate in an orderly fashion
The scientists discoursed on a conference call for just five minutes but
were able to solve three major problems.
The interviewee discoursed so fluently, she was hired on the spot.

discreet
(adj.) showing good judgment in conduct; prudent
We confided our secret in Mary because we knew she'd be discreet.

discrete
(adj.) separate; individually distinct; composed of distinct parts
There were four discrete aspects to the architecture of the home.
The citizens committee maintained that road widening and drainage were
hardly discrete issues.

discriminate
(v.) distinguish; demonstrate bias
Being a chef, he discriminated carefully among ingredients.
Reeling from the fact that senior managers had been caught on tape
making offensive remarks, the CEO said he would not tolerate any of his
firm's employees discriminating against anyone for any reason.

disdain
(n.; v.) intense dislike; look down upon; scorn
She showed great disdain toward anyone who did not agree with her.
She disdains the very ground you walk upon.

disentangle
(v.) to free from confusion
We need to disentangle ourselves from the dizzying variety of choices.

disheartened
(adj.) discouraged; depressed
After failing the exam, the student became disheartened and wondered if
he would ever graduate.

disingenuous
(adj.) not frank or candid; deceivingly simple (opposite: ingenious)
The director used a disingenuous remark to make his point to the
student.
He always gives a quick, disingenuous response; you never get a straight
answer.

disinterested
(adj.) neutral; unbiased (alternate meaning; uninterested)
A disinterested person was needed to serve as arbitrator of the
argument.
He never takes sides; he's always disinterested.

disparage
(v.) to belittle; undervalue; to discredit
After she fired him she realized that she had disparaged the value of his
assistance.
The lawyer will attempt to disparage the testimony of the witness.

disparate
(adj.) unequal; dissimilar; different
They came from disparate backgrounds, one a real estate magnate, the
other a custodian.
The disparate numbers of players made the game a sure blowout.

disparity
(n.) difference in form, character, or degree
There is a great disparity between a light snack and a great feast.

dispassionate
(adj.) lack of feeling; impartial
She was a very emotional person and could not work with such a
dispassionate employer.

disperse
(v.) to scatter; separate
The pilots dispersed the food drops over a wide area of devastation.
Tear gas was used to disperse the crowd.

disputatious
(adj.) argumentative; inclined to disputes
His disputatious streak eventually wore down his fellow parliament
members.
The child was so disputatious he needed to be removed from the room.

dissemble
(v.) to pretend; to feign; to conceal by pretense
The man dissembled his assets shamelessly to avoid paying alimony.
Agent 007 has a marvelous ability to dissemble his real intentions.

disseminate
(v.) to circulate; scatter
He was hired to disseminate newspapers to everyone in the town.
The preacher traveled across the country to disseminate his message.

dissent
(v.) to disagree; differ in opinion
They agreed that something had to be done, but dissented on how to do
it.

dissonance
(n.) musical discord; a mingling of inharmonious sounds; nonmusical;
disagreement; lack of harmony
Much twentieth-century music is not liked by classical music lovers
because of the dissonance it holds and the harmonies it lacks.
The dissonance of his composition makes for some rough listening.

dissonant
(adj.) not in harmony; in disagreement
Despite several intense rehearsals, the voices of the choir members
continued to be dissonant.
The dissonant nature of the man's temperament made the woman fearful
to approach him with the new idea.

distant
(adj.) having separations or being reserved
Rolonda's friends have become more distant in recent years.

distention
(n.) inflation or extension
The bulge in the carpet was caused by the distention of the wood
underneath.

dither
(v.; n.) to act indecisively; a confused condition
She dithered every time she had to make a decision.
Having to take two tests in one day left the student in a dither.

diverge
(v.) separate, split
The path diverges at the old barn, one fork leading to the house, and the
other leading to the pond.
The wide, long river diverged into two distinct separate rivers, never
again to join.

diverse
(adj.) different; varied
The course offerings were so diverse I had a tough time choosing.

divestiture
(n.) being stripped
When it was found the team cheated, there was a divestiture of their
crown.

docile
(adj.) manageable; obedient; gentle
We needed to choose a docile pet because we hadn't the patience for a
lot of training.

document
(n.; v.) official paper containing information; to support; substantiate;
verify
They needed a written document to prove that the transaction occurred.
Facing an audit, she had to document all her client contacts.

doggerel
(n.) verse characterized by forced rhyme and meter
Contrary to its appearance, doggerel can contain some weighty
messages.

dogma
(n.) a collection of beliefs
The dogma of the village was based on superstition.

dogmatic
(adj.) stubborn; biased; opinionated
Their dogmatic declaration clarified their position.
The dogmatic statement had not yet been proven by science.
The student's dogmatic presentation annoyed his classmates as well as
his instructor.

dormant
(adj.) as if asleep
The animals lay dormant until the spring thaw.

doting
(adj.) excessively fond of
With great joy, the doting father held the toddler.

doughty
(adj.) brave and strong
The doughty fireman saved the woman's life.

dowdy
(adj.) shabby in appearance
The dowdy girl had no buttons on her coat and the threads were falling
apart.

dubious
(adj.) doubtful; uncertain; skeptical; suspicious
Many people are dubious about the possibility of intelligent life on other
planets.
The new information was dubious enough to re-open the case.

duplicity
(n.) deception
She forgave his duplicity but divorced him anyway.

duress
(n.) imprisonment; the use of threats
His duress was supposed to last 10-15 years.
The policewoman put the man under duress in order to get a confession.
The Labor Department inspector needed to establish whether the plant
workers had been held under duress.