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dearth (n.) a lack, scarcity (An eager reader, she was dismayed by the dearth of classic books at the library.)

debacle (n.) a disastrous failure, disruption (The elaborately designed fireworks show turned into a debacle when the fireworks started firing in random directions.)

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debase (v.) to lower the quality or esteem of something (The large raise that he gave himself debased his motives for running the charity.)

debauch (v.) to corrupt by means of sensual pleasures (An endless amount of good wine and cheese debauched the traveler.)

debunk (v.) to expose the falseness of something (He debunked her claim to be the world’s greatest chess player by defeating her in 18 consecutive matches.)

decorous (adj.) socially proper, appropriate (The appreciative guest displayed decorous behavior toward his host.)

decry (v.) to criticize openly (The kind video rental clerk decried the policy of charging customers late fees.)

deface (v.) to ruin or injure something’s appearance (The brothers used eggs and shaving cream to deface their neighbor’s mailbox.)

defamatory (adj.) harmful toward another’s reputation (The defamatory gossip spreading about the actor made the public less willing to see the actor’s new movie.)

defer (v.) to postpone something; to yield to another’s wisdom (Ron deferred to Diane, the expert on musical instruments, when he was asked about buying a piano.)

deferential (adj.) showing respect for another’s authority (His deferential attitude toward her made her more confident in her ability to run the company.)

defile (v.) to make unclean, impure (She defiled the calm of the religious building by playing her banjo.)

deft (adj.) skillful, capable (Having worked in a bakery for many years, Marcus was a deft bread maker.)

defunct (adj.) no longer used or existing (They planned to turn the defunct schoolhouse into a community center.)

delegate (v.) to hand over responsibility for something (The dean delegated the task of finding a new professor to a special hiring committee.)

deleterious (adj.) harmful (She experienced the deleterious effects of running a marathon without stretching her muscles enough beforehand.)

deliberate (adj.) intentional, reflecting careful consideration (Though Mary was quite upset, her actions to resolve the dispute were deliberate.)

delineate (v.) to describe, outline, shed light on (She neatly delineated her reasons for canceling the project’s funding.)

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demagogue (n.) a leader who appeals to a people’s prejudices (The demagogue strengthened his hold over his people by blaming immigrants for the lack of jobs.)

demarcation (n.) the marking of boundaries or categories (Different cultures have different demarcations of good and evil.)

demean (v.) to lower the status or stature of something (She refused to demean her secretary by making him order her lunch.)

demure (adj.) quiet, modest, reserved (Though everyone else at the party was dancing and going crazy, she remained demure.)

denigrate (v.) to belittle, diminish the opinion of (The company decided that its advertisements would no longer denigrate the company’s competitors.)

denounce (v.) to criticize publicly (The senator denounced her opponent as a greedy politician.)

deplore (v.) to feel or express sorrow, disapproval (We all deplored the miserable working conditions in the factory.)

depravity (n.) wickedness (Rumors of the ogre’s depravity made the children afraid to enter the forest.)

deprecate (v.) to belittle, depreciate (Always over-modest, he deprecated his contribution to the local charity.)

derelict (adj.) abandoned, run-down (Even though it was dangerous, the children enjoyed going to the deserted lot and playing in the derelict house.)

deride (v.) to laugh at mockingly, scorn (The bullies derided the foreign student’s accent.)

derivative (adj.) taken directly from a source, unoriginal (She was bored by his music because she felt that it was derivative and that she had heard it before.)

desecrate (v.) to violate the sacredness of a thing or place (They feared that the construction of a golf course would desecrate the preserved wilderness.)

desiccated (adj.) dried up, dehydrated (The skin of the desiccated mummy looked like old paper.)

desolate (adj.) deserted, dreary, lifeless (She found the desolate landscape quite a contrast to the hustle and bustle of the overcrowded city.)

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despondent (adj.) feeling depressed, discouraged, hopeless (Having failed the first math test, the despondent child saw no use in studying for the next and failed that one too.)

despot (n.) one who has total power and rules brutally (The despot issued a death sentence for anyone who disobeyed his laws.)

destitute (adj.) impoverished, utterly lacking (The hurricane destroyed many homes and left many families destitute.)

deter (v.) to discourage, prevent from doing (Bob’s description of scary snakes couldn’t deter Marcia from traveling in the rainforests.)

devious (adj.) not straightforward, deceitful (Not wanting to be punished, the devious girl blamed the broken vase on the cat.)