different between reserved vs decorous

English

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /???z?vd/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /???z??vd/
• Hyphenation: re?served

Verb

reserved

1. simple past tense and past participle of reserve

Adjective

reserved (comparative more reserved, superlative most reserved)

1. (comparable) Slow to reveal emotion or opinions.

   He was a quiet, reserved person.

2. (not comparable) Set aside for a particular person or purpose.

   I'm sorry, sir, but these are reserved seats.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:taciturn

Derived terms

• reserved track
• reserved word (computing)

Related terms

• reservedly
• reservedness

Translations

See also

• shy

Anagrams

• deserver, reversed

English

Etymology

From Latin dec?rus (“seemly, becoming”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?d?k???s/

Adjective

decorous (comparative more decorous, superlative most decorous)

1. Marked by proper behavior.
   • 1792, Mary Wollstonecraft, chapter V, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, 3rd edition, London: J. Jonson, published 1796, section III, pages 219–220:

     The narrow path of truth and virtue inclines neither to the right nor left—it is a ?traightforward bu?ine?s, and they who are earne?tly pur?uing their road, may bound over many decorous prejudices, without leaving mode?ty behind.

   • 1848, William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair, Chapter 61,^[1]

     There came a day when the round of decorous pleasures and solemn gaieties in which Mr. Jos Sedley’s family indulged was interrupted by an event which happens in most houses.

   • 1919, W. Somerset Maugham, The Moon and Sixpence, chapter 43

     But who can fathom the subtleties of the human heart? Certainly not those who expect from it only decorous sentiments and normal emotions.

   • 1936, Margaret Mitchell, Gone with the Wind, Part One, Chapter 1^[2]

     The green eyes in the carefully sweet face were turbulent, willful, lusty with life, distinctly at variance with her decorous demeanor.

Antonyms

• indecorous

Related terms

Translations