
In an article about a recent mountain hike, the author said this about his return trip: “The decent was more challenging than the ascent.”
A proofreading error, I’ll wager. But it presents a teachable moment.
Decent (DEE-sint) means acceptable, presentable, polite, socially acceptable. It can also mean clothed.
- “If everyone is decent we’ll come in,” the coach hollered as he charged through the locker room door.
Or it can mean good, but not necessarily excellent.
- His grades were decent, but not good enough to get into an Ivy League school.