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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
The affair grows less decorous in farcical scenes of upstairs and downstairs life — kitchen staff toiling away on blunts, a trigger-happy shooting party, and cockney pub patrons breaking out in song — and the various side plots.
—
Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 3 Dec. 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
Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 3 Dec. 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
-
Films that would once have sparked competitive bidding are screening to polite attention and noncommittal follow-up meetings.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2026
-
The old-school kind where everybody is mostly well-behaved and polite, and the audience scrolls on their phones to stay awake.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Many other people reject formal education (for other people, though usually not for their own kids) as unnecessary to attaining the highest ranks of wealth and power.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
-
But, the grande dame here is the two-bedroom Alii Royal suite ($26,000 a night) with an open living and dining space, a formal seating area, a library, and three private balconies.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
After all, the key to a flawless beat is proper skincare application!—
Katie Decker-Jacoby,
StyleCaster,
14 May 2026
-
Sit down at a proper meal table (not your desk or the car), put your snack on a plate or in a bowl, and take a breath to center yourself before taking the first bite.—
Lauren Panoff,
Verywell Health,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
It is celebrated with a ceremonious parade that features a cavalcade of men dressed in Roman soldier costumes, evoking a sense of solemn thanksgiving and spiritual devotion.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Mar. 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
And while the coach house has a respectable two-car garage, the main residence has a massive garage beneath the first floor that can easily fit 10 vehicles.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
20 May 2026
-
Both offshoots had respectable runs on ABC, six (Private Practice) and seven (Station 19) seasons.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
This classy, versatile shirt is easy to wear, either tucked or untucked, with a pair of blue jeans, a satin skirt, or nice trousers.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
20 May 2026
-
The win marked a nice bounce-back for Georgetown, which had dropped four of five games before this second straight win.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier subpoenaed the NFL on Wednesday after the league failed to provide a satisfactory response to the Republican official’s concerns about diversity hiring practices.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
13 May 2026
-
And the Anza-Borrego Foundation that opposes the power line going through any portion of the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park told the Union-Tribune that undergrounding the line within the park is not a satisfactory solution.—
Rob Nikolewski,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
The star-nosed mole’s speed is an adaptation for the act of recognition itself — for making correct categorical decisions, in the dark, at the physical limit of neural transmission.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
-
In an interview with the Observer, Page acknowledged that the department’s initial claim that Manigault came into the store waving a gun was not correct.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decorous. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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