Letters and spelling

Words with the prefix de for building vocabulary

This list explores words that begin with the prefix de-, which often signals reversal, removal, or downward motion. It's designed for students learning roots and affixes, teachers building word-part lessons, and anyone who wants to strengthen vocabulary by recognizing how prefixes reshape meaning.

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Words with the prefix de for building vocabulary

Word	Meaning	In a sentence
decodeverb	To convert a coded or unclear message into a form that can be understood.	The analyst worked for hours to decode the encrypted message intercepted from the enemy.
deactivateverb	To make something, such as an account, device, or mechanism, stop functioning or being active.	She decided to deactivate her social media account after feeling overwhelmed by constant notifications.
defrostverb	To remove ice or frost from something, or to thaw something that has been frozen.	She took the chicken out early to defrost it before starting dinner.
degradeverb	To reduce the quality, condition, or value of something, or to treat someone with disrespect.	Excessive salt can degrade the quality of the soil over time.
dehydrateverb	To remove water from something, or to lose an unhealthy amount of water from the body.	The company dehydrates fruit to make lightweight snacks for hikers.
demolishverb	To completely tear down or destroy a building or structure.	Crews demolished the abandoned factory to make room for new apartments.
denounceverb	To publicly declare something or someone to be wrong, illegal, or morally unacceptable.	Human rights groups denounced the new law as a violation of free speech.
deodorizeverb	To remove or mask an unpleasant smell from something.	We used baking soda to deodorize the inside of the refrigerator.
descendverb	To move or go downward from a higher place to a lower one.	The hikers slowly descended the steep, rocky trail before sunset.
detachverb	To disconnect or separate something from what it is attached to.	You can detach the strap to carry the bag as a clutch.
devalueverb	To reduce the worth, importance, or price of something.	The central bank devalued the currency to make the country's exports cheaper abroad.
decomposeverb	To break down gradually into simpler substances through natural biological or chemical processes.	Fallen leaves decompose slowly over the winter, enriching the soil with nutrients.
deforestverb	To clear an area of trees, usually to use the land for other purposes.	Farmers deforested the hillside to make room for new crops.
dehumidifyverb	To remove excess moisture from the air in an enclosed space.	We run a machine in the basement to dehumidify the damp air each summer.
demoteverb	To reduce someone to a lower rank, grade, or position, often as a punishment.	The manager was demoted after the company discovered several serious errors in his reports.
derailverb	To cause a train to run off its tracks, or to disrupt a plan or process.	Heavy flooding caused the freight train to derail near the bridge.
desensitizeverb	To make someone react less strongly to something, often through repeated exposure.	Years of covering war zones seemed to desensitize the reporter to violent images.
destabilizeverb	To make a system, government, or situation less stable or secure.	The coup attempt threatened to destabilize the entire region for years.
detoxifyverb	To remove poisonous or harmful substances from the body or an environment.	The liver works constantly to detoxify the blood of harmful chemicals.
decreaseverb	To become smaller in size, amount, or degree, or to make something so.	Sales decreased sharply after the company raised its prices last spring.
delayverb	To make something happen later than planned, or to be slow in doing something.	Heavy snow delayed our flight by more than three hours.
denyverb	To state that something is not true, or to refuse to give someone something they have requested.	The company flatly denied any responsibility for the factory accident.
departverb	To leave a place, especially to start a journey.	The train will depart from platform nine at exactly noon.
detainverb	To keep someone from leaving, especially by holding them in official custody.	Police detained the suspect for several hours of questioning after the break-in.

What does the prefix de- mean?

The prefix de- generally signals reversal, removal, or reduction, though its exact sense shifts with each base word. Decode reverses a code, deforest removes forest, and degrade reduces quality or condition. Some words, like descend and detach, come from Latin roots where de- simply means down or away. Studying these patterns helps learners predict meaning in new words that share the prefix.

Frequently asked questions

What does the prefix de- mean?

De- usually means down, away, or reverse, as in decode (reverse a code) or deforest (remove forest).