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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.
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