degradation
n. 降级[反]elevation
n. 堕落；退化（生物）

degrade
v. （使）降级；（使）堕落
degrade oneself by cheating 因欺骗而自甘堕落
v. （使）退化

delegate
n. 代表
[同]representative

deliberate
adj. 深思熟虑的，蓄意的
a deliberate lie 存心的谎言
[同]intentional
adj. 审慎的，不慌不忙的
a deliberate speech 从容而谨慎的演说

deliberately
adv. 审慎地，蓄意地

denial
n. 否认
They didn’t admit his denial of guilt. 他们对他否认有罪不予承认。
[同]negation
n. 拒绝
the denial of a request for help 拒绝他人的求助
[同]rejection
[难点]
make a denial of … 否认…

denote
vt. 指示，表示
[同]indicate
vt. 意味着
The sign x usually denotes an unknown quantity. 符号x通常代表一未知数。
[同]mean

denounce
vt. 谴责，痛斥
be denounced as a coward 被指责为懦夫
[同]criticize
vt. 揭发，告发
denounce sb. as a spy 揭发某人为奸细
[难点]
denounce sb. to … 向…告发某人
They denounced the man to the police. 他们向警方告发了那人。

density
n. 浓密，密集
the density of a forest / the population 森林的茂密/人口的稠密
n. 密度（物理）；愚钝

dentist
n. 牙医

dependant
n. 靠别人生活，眷属；侍从

deposit
n. 存款，押金，保证金
I drew 1,000 yuans from my deposit. 我从存款中提出一千元。
n. 矿床
oil deposit 油田

deposition
n. 免职，罢免；证言；淤积，沉淀

depression
n. 沮丧，消沉
He is suffering from mental depression. 他情绪很低落。
n. （商业）不景气，萧条期
[同]slump
n. 洼穴，坑
[同]hollow

deprive
vt. 剥夺，使丧失
These trees deprive my house of light. 这些树遮住了我房屋的光线。
[同]strip
vt. 免去…的职务
[难点]
deprive sb. of… = sb. be deprived of … 剥夺某人的…
They deprived him of his rights. 他们剥夺了他的权利。

deputy
n. 代理人
act as a deputy for sb. 做某人的代理人
[同]agent
n. 代表，议员
a deputy to the National People’s Congress 人大代表
[同]representative
adj. 副的，代理的
a deputy mayor 副市长
[同]vice
[难点]
deputy for sb. 某人的代理人
deputy to … 某（组织，机构等）的代理人

derivation
n. 引出，导出；起源，由来
[同]origin

descendant
n. 子孙，后代，后裔[同] offspring

descent
n. 下来，下降
The descent is more difficult than the ascent. 上山容易下山难。
[反]ascent
n. 血统，世系
He is a man of noble descent. 他出身名门。
[同]ancestry

designate
vt. 指明,指出
designate boundaries 表明界限
vt. 指派，指定
He designated Smith as his successor. 他指定史密斯为他的继承人。

desolate
adj. 荒芜的，荒凉的
[同]deserted
adj. 孤独的，凄凉的
She lived a desolate life. 她过着凄凉的生活。
[同]lonely

dessert
n. 甜食，点心

destine
vt. （常用被动）命中注定
They were destined never to meet again. 他们命中注定将永不再见。
[同]doom
vt. 预定，指定
[同]predetermine