decent play

USAGE SUMMARY

'decent play' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to an acceptable standard of achievement or performance. For example: "The team put on a decent play, but it lacked energy and excitement".

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Sports

Film

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

13 human-written examples

Decent play all round, then.

The Guardian - Sport

It would make a decent play.

The Guardian

It's a decent play that pushes against its own boundaries with varying success.

The New York Times

If not for decent play by kicker Josh Scobee and punter Bryan Anger, they would be all-around terrible.

The New York Times - Sports

The manager's frustration must lie in the lapses that follow spells of decent play with alarming regularity.

The Guardian - Sport

Kate Fodor's "100 Saints You Should Know," which opened last night at Playwrights Horizons, is a decent play, with all that the adjective implies.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

46 human-written examples

Many more are now badly maintained, which is a particular problem for a sport which relies on a decent playing surface.

The Economist

The Red Sox were up by six runs, so Youkilis replaced Ortiz, who went 1 for 4 and even made two decent plays, in the sixth.

The New York Times - Sports

For Katine football boss Charles Eromu, it is back to the old problems – no balls, no football boots, no decent playing surfaces.

The Guardian

"The changeups on the offense with the running backs and the receivers in the backfield, those gave us some decent plays, but that's not what we're used to seeing," the backup quarterback Jeff Garcia told The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The New York Times - Sports

"Estelle's four weeks at the top of the singles chart proves to labels, general music fans in the UK and worldwide that the UK urban music industry has a high calibre of talent that needs to be given a fair chance and decent playing field as their counterparts within the other music genres.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing performance or actions, use "decent play" to convey a sense of adequacy or acceptability without necessarily implying excellence. It suggests a standard has been met but leaves room for improvement.

Common error

Avoid using "decent play" when the performance was exceptionally good. Instead, use stronger adjectives like "excellent", "outstanding", or "exceptional" to accurately reflect the level of performance.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "decent play" functions primarily as a noun phrase, where "decent" acts as an adjective modifying the noun "play". It describes the quality of an action or performance. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's correct and usable.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Sports

15%

Wiki

5%

Less common in

Film

5%

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "decent play" is a commonly used phrase to describe a performance or action that is acceptable or adequate, as determined by Ludwig AI. It functions as a noun phrase, with "decent" modifying "play", and is generally used in a neutral register, with the highest frequency in news and media contexts. While grammatically correct, it's important to consider stronger alternatives like "excellent" or "outstanding" when a more emphatic description is warranted. The phrase strikes a balance, acknowledging quality without excessive praise.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

respectable play

Emphasizes the moral or social acceptability of the play, rather than just its quality.

good play

A more general term indicating a positive assessment of the play's quality.

adequate performance

Focuses on the sufficiency of the execution, suggesting it meets the minimum requirements.

satisfactory action

Highlights the fulfillment of expectations or requirements in the action taken.

competent performance

Stresses the skill and ability demonstrated in the performance.

acceptable behavior

Shifts the focus to the appropriateness of the conduct, implying it meets standards of decorum.

reasonable effort

Highlights the fairness and justification of the effort exerted, suggesting it was appropriate for the situation.

serviceable execution

Indicates the execution was functional and effective, though perhaps lacking in finesse.

passable attempt

Implies the attempt was barely successful, meeting the minimum requirements for acceptance.

tolerable conduct

Emphasizes the bearable nature of the conduct, suggesting it was not ideal but could be endured.

FAQs

How can I use "decent play" in a sentence?

You can use "decent play" to describe an action or performance that is acceptable or satisfactory, but not necessarily exceptional. For example, "The team showed some "decent play" in the second half, but it wasn't enough to win the game".

What's a more formal alternative to "decent play"?

In more formal contexts, you could use phrases like "respectable performance" or "competent action" instead of "decent play", which provide a similar meaning but with a slightly more elevated tone.

Is "decent play" always positive?

While "decent" generally implies a positive connotation, "decent play" suggests something is good enough or acceptable, but not necessarily outstanding. It acknowledges a certain level of quality without excessive praise.

What can I say instead of "decent play" to emphasize skill?

To emphasize skill and ability, you could use alternatives like "skilled performance" or "competent execution" instead of "decent play", which highlight the level of expertise involved.