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Preposition after adjective

Decent in or decent for?

Decent in describes ability in a subject or activity. Decent for describes suitability, quality, or comparison.

Quick answer

When do we use decent in and decent for?

Use decent in with subjects or activities. Use decent for when judging whether something is acceptable or suitable for a purpose.

She is decent in mathematics.
This laptop is decent for gaming.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
decent in + subject/activity

Ability in an area

Use in for skills, studies, or activities.

He is decent in French.
2
decent for + purpose

Suitable for something

For introduces the intended use.

The apartment is decent for a short stay.
3
decent for + price

Reasonable quality

Use for when comparing value or standards.

It is decent for the money.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
decent in
She is decent in science.
fairly skilled in a subject
decent for
The phone is decent for travel.
good enough for a purpose
decent at
He is decent at tennis.
common alternative for skills

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using decent for with school subjects

Use decent in or decent at for abilities.

✕ She is decent for maths. ✓ She is decent in maths.

Using decent in for purpose

Use for when discussing suitability.

✕ This chair is decent in camping. ✓ This chair is decent for camping.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. He is pretty ___ coding.
2. This camera is ___ beginners.
3. Which sentence is correct?

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Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

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Frequently asked questions

Can I say decent at?

Yes. Decent at is very common for skills and activities.

Is decent in formal?

It is acceptable but less common than decent at in everyday speech.

What does decent for mean?

It means acceptable or suitable for a purpose.

daily, for, daily, with, daily, in damaging to, for, of, in or as? damn about, near, for, to or as? "dangerous for" or "dangerous to"? "dark in", "dark for" or "dark of"? "daunting for" or "daunting to"? dead in, on, by, at or of? deadly to, in, for, of or with? "deaf to" or "deaf in"? dear to, in, for, of or as? deceased in, to, for, at or on? "decisive in" or "decisive for"?

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