1
as in polite
following the established traditions of refined society and good taste
we were asked to be on our most decorous behavior at the formal event
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in formal
marked by or showing careful attention to set forms and details
the oppressively decorous standards of a royal court
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of decorous
Who decides what’s decorous and what’s vulgar?
—
Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
The hearings are usually decorous affairs, where anger is routine but controlled.
—David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Still, Julie Rotblatt Amrany got the flying ponytail right and delivered a decorous portrayal that was well received.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 30 Aug. 2025
The teenager, who spoke in hushed, decorous bursts, had months earlier shot rats near a friend’s camp in Manchac, dressed the carcasses (an intricate process, given the animal’s size), and frozen their haunches.
—Nathaniel Rich, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decorous
Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2025
The hearings are usually decorous affairs, where anger is routine but controlled.
—David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Still, Julie Rotblatt Amrany got the flying ponytail right and delivered a decorous portrayal that was well received.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 30 Aug. 2025
The teenager, who spoke in hushed, decorous bursts, had months earlier shot rats near a friend’s camp in Manchac, dressed the carcasses (an intricate process, given the animal’s size), and frozen their haunches.
—Nathaniel Rich, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decorous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decorous
Adjective
-
There’s no polite, printable word to describe the security line situation at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport right now.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Leaning in rather than keeping a polite distance.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
No amount of money or formal resolution can erase the pain caused by a prosecution that should never have been brought.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Such a debrief will help to blunt some of the emotion almost certain to surround her return to formal duties on the show.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Westcott said some of the subdivisions along the creek were built in the 1960s and 1970s when proper drainage was an afterthought and fences were installed in floodways.—
Michelle Mullins,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Hayden said that Charles failed to execute proper safety protocols while Joseph crossed the street.—
Anna Meiler,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The ones named Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion by the judges make a ceremonious visit at the end of the day to the Brown Palace Hotel and Spa in downtown Denver.—
Miguel Otárola,
Denver Post,
21 Jan. 2026
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More convincing in the film is cinematographer Talant Akynbekov’s observant, almost ceremonious lensing of carpet weaving, as well as of the beats of everyday life, sometimes accompanied by the traditional tunes villagers hum.—
Tomris Laffly,
Variety,
23 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Washington recorded a respectable 20 reps on the bench press and also looked extremely quick during the 40-yard dash.—
Darin Oswald,
Idaho Statesman,
25 Mar. 2026
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Voters do occasionally notice who's actually on the ballot, and Democrats are serving up a semi-respectable offering.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Google's $499 Pixel 10a feels a whole lot nicer to use.—
Eric Zeman,
PC Magazine,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Phase One currently is centered on a music theater that (from the point of view of the city) is very much in the nice-to-have-but-fully-served-elsewhere category and on a hotel, which is more promising but still less beneficial when compared with housing.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Safety, satisfactory customer service, and ensuring riders feel secure are best achieved by maintaining — and even increasing — staffing in transit systems.—
John Samuelsen,
New York Daily News,
17 Mar. 2026
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Cavedon said the case centers on what happens if a person gives an answer that the officer doesn’t find satisfactory.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Present and correct, just in smaller quantities than previously, and now obliged to make polite conversation with Alexandra Champalimaud’s additions.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 Mar. 2026
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This article was updated with the correct name of Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Sgt.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decorous. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
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