frequently_asked_questions_files/Oxford Thesaurus.pdf

polite, affable, obliging, pleasant, Colloq smooth: Despite his
vicious temper, he was most debonair in company. 2 carefree,
insouciant, gay, nonchalant, light-hearted, dashing, charming,
cheerful, buoyant, jaunty, sprightly: Being handsome and
debonair, he was much sought after by hostesses.
debt n. 1 obligation; due, indebtedness, liability, responsibility,
accountability, encumbrance: He owes a debt of gratitude to his
wife for her moral support. The company takes care of all debts
promptly. 2 in debt. under obligation, owing, accountable,
beholden, indebted, responsible, answerable for, liable,
encumbered, in arrears, straitened, in dire straits, in
(financial) difficulty or difficulties, in the red, Colloq US
and Canadian in hock: I shall always be in debt to you for your
help. The London branch is in debt for ten million pounds.
d‚but n. 1 premiŠre, introduction, initiation, inauguration, launch
or launching, coming out: The young soprano's d‚but at La Scala
was a triumph.
--v. 2 launch, come out, enter, appear: His plan is to d‚but
with a zither accompaniment.
decadent adj. 1 declining, decaying, deteriorating, debased,
degenerating, falling off, on the wane, withering, degenerative:
The decadent literature of the period was a reflection of the
decline in moral standards. 2 corrupt, dissolute, immoral,
debauched, dissipated, self-indulgent, degenerate: His decadent
behaviour brought him to the attention of the police.
decay v. 1 a decline, wane, ebb, dwindle, diminish, decrease: The
magnetic field rapidly decays when the power is removed. b
decline, waste away, atrophy, weaken, wither, degenerate,
deteriorate, disintegrate; crumble: Her great beauty decayed
quickly. 2 rot, decompose, moulder, putrefy, spoil; turn, go
bad, go off: The flesh has decayed and only a skeleton remains.
--n. 3 decline, weakening, failing, fading, deterioration,
decadence, degeneration, wasting, atrophy, dilapidation,
disintegration, collapse; downfall: The buildings were in an
advanced state of decay. 4 rot, rotting, decomposition, mould,
putrefaction, mortification: The decay has weakened the timbers
supporting the bridge.