different between decent vs healthy

English

Etymology

From Middle French décent, or its source, Latin dec?ns, present participle of decet (“it is fitting or suitable”), from Proto-Indo-European *de?- (“to take, accept, to receive, greet, be suitable”) (compare Ancient Greek ????? (doké?, “I appear, seem, think”), ??????? (dékhomai, “I accept”); Sanskrit ??????? (da?asyáti, “shows honor, is gracious”), ????? (d??ati, “makes offerings, bestows”)). Meaning ‘kind, pleasant’ is from 1902.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?di?s?nt/

Adjective

decent (comparative more decent, superlative most decent)

1. (obsolete) Appropriate; suitable for the circumstances.
2. (of a person) Having a suitable conformity to basic moral standards; showing integrity, fairness, or other characteristics associated with moral uprightness.
3. (informal) Sufficiently clothed or dressed to be seen.

4. Fair; good enough; okay.
   • 1991, Stephen Fry, The Liar, p. 35:

     And ‘blubbing’... Blubbing went out with ‘decent’ and ‘ripping’. Mind you, not a bad new language to start up. Nineteen-twenties schoolboy slang could be due for a revival.

5. Significant; substantial.

6. Conforming to percievied standards of good taste.
7. (obsolete) Comely; shapely; well-formed.

Synonyms

• (conforming suitably to moral standards): good, moral
• (good enough): adequate, satisfactory

Antonyms

• (conforming suitably to moral standards): bad, immoral
• (sufficiently clothed): indecent, underdressed
• (good enough): inadequate, poor, unsatisfactory

Related terms

• decency
• decently

Translations

Anagrams

• cedent

Romanian

Etymology

From French décent, from Latin decens.

Adjective

decent m or n (feminine singular decent?, masculine plural decen?i, feminine and neuter plural decente)

1. decent

Declension

English

Etymology

From health +? -y.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?h?l.?i/
• Rhymes: -?l?i

Adjective

healthy (comparative healthier or more healthy, superlative healthiest or most healthy)

1. Enjoying health and vigor of body, mind, or spirit: well.

   Antonym: unhealthy
2. Conducive to health.

   Synonym: healthful

   Antonym: unhealthy
3. Evincing health.
4. (figuratively) Significant, hefty; beneficial.

Usage notes

When a clearer distinction is intended, healthy is used to describe the state of the object, and healthful describes its ability to impart health to the recipient. Vegetables in good condition are both healthy (i.e., not rotten or diseased) and healthful (i.e., they improve the eaters' health, compared to eating junk food). By contrast, a poisonous plant can be healthy, but it is not healthful to eat it.

Derived terms

Related terms

• heal
• healing
• whole

Translations

Further reading

• healthy in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• healthy in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.