respectable

Everyday

1. Thought by people to be good, honest and proper in the way you live and behave. tree →
2. Decent and good enough to be seen: «Put on something respectable for the wedding.» tree →
3. Fairly good or fairly large, though not excellent: «a respectable score», «a respectable sum of money». tree →

In the lessons

In stories about Victorian and Edwardian England, being respectable mattered a lot: a respectable family had a clean house, went to church and behaved properly. In The Wind in the Willows Toad's wild driving and stealing a car make him far from respectable, and his friends try to make him behave. In school we may get «a respectable mark» in a test – not top, but good. Phrases: «perfectly respectable», «a respectable distance», «look respectable».

Examples

• Comb your hair and look respectable for the photo. tree →
• They were a respectable family who never missed church on Sunday. tree →
• Our team scored a respectable 45 points. tree →
• The Badger said that a respectable animal does not drive cars into ponds. tree →
• She saved a respectable amount of money for her holiday. tree →
• Keep a respectable distance from the edge of the cliff. tree →
• His old coat was patched but still respectable. tree →
• "Here's a nice end for a respectable blacksmith!" tree →

Note

Do not mix up with «respectful» (showing respect to others): a respectful pupil listens politely; a respectable person is respected by others. Ends in «-able», not «-ible».