A–Z Vocabulary
Key IELTS words starting with D — deteriorate, detrimental, diminish and more — with definitions, examples and memory tricks.
10 / 10 words
verb
Definition
To become progressively worse in quality or condition.
Example sentence
“Without urgent intervention, air quality in many megacities will continue to deteriorate.”
Memory trick
Sounds like 'de-terror-ate' — terror eating away at something until it's worse.
Common collocations
adjective
Definition
Tending to cause harm; damaging.
Example sentence
“Excessive screen time has been shown to be detrimental to children's social and cognitive development.”
Memory trick
'De-TRIM-ental' — like trimming away the good parts, leaving damage.
Common collocations
verb
Definition
To make or become less in size, importance, or intensity.
Example sentence
“Global biodiversity continues to diminish at an unprecedented rate due to habitat destruction.”
Memory trick
'Di-MINI-sh' — making things mini, smaller.
Common collocations
noun
Definition
A difference between two things that should be the same; an inconsistency.
Example sentence
“The audit revealed significant discrepancies between the reported and actual carbon emissions.”
Memory trick
'Dis-' (apart) + 'crep' (creep) — numbers creep apart from each other.
Common collocations
verb
Definition
To spread or distribute information widely.
Example sentence
“Social media has made it possible to disseminate scientific findings to a global audience within hours.”
Memory trick
'Dis-SEMI-nate' — like scattering seeds (semi = seed) widely.
Common collocations
adjective
Definition
Showing a great deal of variety; very different from one another.
Example sentence
“A diverse workforce brings a wider range of perspectives that drive innovation.”
Memory trick
'Di-VERSE' — many different verses, many different versions.
Common collocations
adjective
Definition
Tending to be different or to develop in different directions.
Example sentence
“Economists hold divergent views on whether automation will create more jobs than it destroys.”
Memory trick
'Di-' (apart) + 'verge' — moving apart toward different edges.
Common collocations
noun
Definition
A situation in which a difficult choice must be made between two or more options.
Example sentence
“Policymakers face the perennial dilemma of balancing economic growth with environmental protection.”
Memory trick
'Di-' (two) + 'lemma' (proposition) — caught between two propositions.
Common collocations
adjective / noun
Definition
Relating to the structure of populations; a particular segment of a population.
Example sentence
“Ageing populations represent one of the most pressing demographic challenges of the twenty-first century.”
Memory trick
'Demo' (people) + 'graphic' (writing) — writing about people.
Common collocations
verb
Definition
To use up the supply or resources of something almost entirely.
Example sentence
“Industrial fishing has depleted ocean stocks to dangerously low levels in many regions.”
Memory trick
'De-PLEAT' — pleats removed, fabric thinned out until nothing's left.
Common collocations