By Rachel Mitchell Text Copyright 2018 by Rachel Mitchell

Draw attention [Expression] (to make people notice something or someone).
If we don't want to draw attention to the guards, please be quiet. He dropped his wallet on purpose to draw her attention.
Do not take someone or something lightly = take someone or something seriously [Expression] (regard something or someone as vital and worthy of attention).
His parents threatened to punish him, but he didn't take them seriously.
Career choices can be incredibly difficult to make, and I do not take them lightly as a recruiter.
Getting married and choosing to have kids are two major decisions in your life, do not take them lightly.
Deplete [Verb] (to reduce something in size or amount (by a large amount)).
This expense has depleted our funds. Our stock of food is greatly depleted.
Drawbacks [Noun] (a disadvantage or problem).
The drawbacks of the new hospital are the location and the building costs. There are certain drawbacks to life outside the city.
Date [Noun] (a romantic meeting with a male or female).
They decided to remain just good friends although they had several dates.
Do (or try) one's best [Expression] (to try very hard/ do as much as possible to achieve something).
He has tried his best to repair the TV but still is not working. I tried my best to get here on time.
Disregard [Verb] (to pay no attention to someone or something).
She disregarded him, and her words insulted him. He completely disregarded me and threatened me. Despite the fact that [Expression] (even though).
Despite the fact that Tom studied very hard, he didn't pass the exam. She is very slim despite the fact that she eats a lot.
Dusk [Noun] (partial darkness; the time when the sun has gone down).
The sky at dusk is red.
The street lights come on at dusk and go off at dawn.
Depend on [Verb] (to rely on someone for help). She depends on her parents for her university fees. He depends on his father for everything.
Distract [Verb] (to prevent someone from concentrating on something).
I do not want to distract her mind from her lessons. The music distracted him from his work.
Draw lots [Verb] (to decide who will do something by picking cards, tickets or numbers from a container by chance).
We had to draw lots to decide who would go. They drew lots to decide who should go first.
Desirable [Adjective] (that you would like to have or do; worth having or doing because it is useful, necessary).
Because the concert tickets were desirable, they sold out quickly. Because he had a pleasant demeanor, he was a desirable friend.
The house has many desirable features, and lots of people would love to buy it.
Degradation [Noun] (the process of something becoming worse or damaged).
Whatever the degradation, the human spirit can be indestructible. He was forced to suffer the degradations of poverty and abuse.
Some feel that violence on television has caused a degradation of society.
Disorder [Noun] (a problem or illness that causes someone's mind or body to stop functioning properly).
She suffers from a rare disorder of the liver, so many doctors had not seen a case like this before.
Respiratory disorders are affected by air pollution in cities.
Dependent [Adjective] (be relying on someone or something in order to survive or to be successful).
People cannot solely be dependent on luck to become successful.
Developing countries nowadays are heavily dependent on natural resources to drive their economy, especially in transportation and energy fields.