1. 相当不错的；像样的　 of a good enough standard or quality
2. 正派的　 honest and fair; treating people with respect
3. 适当的，得体的　 acceptable to people in a particular situation

　～ behaviour　举止端庄
　～ burial　体面的葬礼
　～ dress　讲究的衣服
　～ job　相当不错的工作
　～ meal　相当不错的饭菜
　～ living conditions　像样的生活条件
　～ place to live　相当不错的住所
　～ taste　高雅的情趣
　～ voice　不亢不卑的声调

　It's a decent school.　这是一所很体面的学校。
　He earns a decent salary.　他的收入相当好。
　She has a decent figure.　她体型相当不错。
　She had seemed such a nice, decent woman.　她过去看上去是一个那么和善的女人。
　He is not rich but he earns a decent living.　他不富有，但生活得相当不错。
　Everyone should be entitled to a decent wage and a decent home.　人人都有权得到体面的工资和一个美好的家庭。
　Every executive needed a few suits and a decent overcoat.　每个管理人员都需要几套西服和一件像样儿的大衣。
　He is a very decent fellow.　他是个正派的人。
　I thought he was a decent sort of person.　我以为他是那种正派的人。
　I tell you decent people, just don't do things like that.　我告诉你们这些正派的人，不要做这种事。
　Everyone said he was a decent sort of guy.　人人都说他是个品行端正的小伙子。
　She was a decent young woman of a sober age, less inclined to giggle than many of the younger ones.　她是个老成持重的年轻女人，不像很多更年轻些的姑娘那样爱嘻嘻哈哈。
　All I ask is you get that guy out of here when I've got decent trade.　别的不说了，你给我把这个家伙弄出去，要知道本人还得做正经事呢。
　He always uses decent language.　他总是使用正统的语言。
　I need a decent night's sleep.　我需要好好地睡上一觉。
　You must wear decent clothes when you go for a new job.　你去求职时着装要得体。
　Poor people cannot always live in decent conditions.　穷人生活不能经常保持体面。
　He let a decent amount of time pass before he phoned her again.　他得体地过了一段时间以后才又给她打了电话。
　They went to visit him after a decent interval.　过了一段适当的时间后，他们去拜访他。
　She did not have a decent coat for the cold winter.　她没有过冬御寒的合适外套。
　She ought to have waited for a decent internal before getting married again.　她再嫁也应该适当等上一段时间。
　He sought a decent pretext for venting his displeasure.　他一心想找个名正言顺的借口发泄不满。
　He said he was decent.　他说他衣服穿好了。
　I can't go to the door—I'm not decent.　我不能去开门——我还没穿好衣服。
　I don't think the low-cut dress is decent.　我认为那种袒胸露肩的连衣裙不雅观。
　Put on a decent shirt and try to look decent.　穿上一件像样的衬衣，尽量显得体面些。
　She was awfully decent about that affair.　对那种事，她极宽容。
　And then he was awfully decent about giving me this job.　当时他特别宽厚，将这件工作交给了我。
　My boss was very decent about my being away when my mother was ill.　我的老板待我非常宽厚，我母亲生病时准我告假离去。
　She was pretty decent about the whole affair.　她对整个儿这件事都不计较。
　He was quite decent to me.　他对我相当和气。
　My tutor was decent to me about my mistake.　导师原谅了我的错误。
　The critics were decent to the author about his play.　评论家们对作者的剧本的批评是宽厚的。
　Above all things he wanted to be decent in his treatment of people.　最重要的是，他想宽厚待人。
　I'm not sure the movie is decent enough for the children.　我不知道这部电影是不是适合儿童看。
　It's not decent to smile at a funeral.　在葬礼上发笑是失礼的。
　It is not decent to pry into other people's business.　到处打听别人的事是不礼貌的。
　It is not decent to laugh at a crippled person.　笑话一个瘸子是不得体的行为。
　It was decent of her to let you have it.　她很宽厚，让你把东西拿走。
　It was decent of you to look after the children yesterday.　你昨天为我照看孩子真太好了。
　It was decent of you to help me.　承蒙帮助，十分感谢。

 ♣ do the decent thing
　做体面事，做人心所向的事　do what people or society expect
　He did the decent thing and resigned.　他做得很体面，辞职了。
　After the recent scandal, the priest is expected to do the decent thing and resign from his position.　最近的丑闻流传出来后，人们希望这个牧师识时务地自动退职。
　That was the only decent thing I could do in the situation.　在当时情况下，这是我所能做的最合乎体统的事了。

 ♣ decent, decorous, nice, proper, seemly
　这组词都用于表示人或人的言语、行为符合公认的、得体的标准或良好礼节的标准。其区别在于：decent表示该事物把自己限制在对其种属或阶层适宜或合适的范围内，无论从道德或社会礼节的观点，还是从高尚趣味或某种情况来看都是合适的；decorous表示该事物以遵循礼节为标志，通常指某种庄重的、有时是礼节上的、有时是形式上的拘谨；seemly表示该事物不仅是合适的、得体的，而且是好看、好听、招人喜欢的；proper表示该事物与公认的伦理或社会标准、习俗的要求完全一致；nice表示该事物可以满足对行为、礼貌、语言等近乎苛求的标准。
 ♣ decent, descent
　这两个词词形相近（只差一个字母s)、读音相似(decent [′dɪːsnt]，descent [dɪ′sent])，但词义完全不同。前者意为“体面的”，是形容词；后者意为“血统”，是名词。

　［派生词］ decently adv.得体地
　［同义词］ proper, respectable
　［反义词］ improper, indecent, unsuitable
　［词源］拉丁语decens（适宜，适合的）