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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.
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