Meanings
present singular third person decries · participle present decrying · participle past decried · past decried
- transitiveTo denounce as harmful.
For London, Beeching decries the low fares, resulting in an inability to justify investment in capacity enhancement despite severe overcrowding.
2023 March 8, Gareth Dennis, “The Reshaping of things to come...”, in RAIL, number 978, pages 47–483 more examples
Nothing is more uſual and more natural for thoſe, vvho pretend to diſcover any thing nevv to the vvorld in philoſophy and the ſciences, than to inſinuate the praiſes of their ovvn ſystems, by decrying all thoſe, vvhich have been advanced before them.
1739, [David Hume], “Introduction”, in A Treatise of Human Nature: […], book I (Of the Understanding), London: […] John Noon, […], →OCLCAll of us seem to need some totalistic relationships in our lives. But to decry the fact that we cannot have only such relationships is nonsense.
1970, Alvin Toffler, Future Shock: Bantam Books, page 99While decrying bureaucracy and demanding participatory democracy they, themselves, frequently attempt to manipulate the very group of workers, blacks or students on whose behalf they demand participation.
1970, Alvin Toffler, Future Shock: Bantam Books, page 474
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Frenchdescrier“to shout”
- Middle Frenchdecrier“to denigrate; depreciate”
- Englishdecry
C. 1600, from Middle French decrier (“to denigrate; depreciate”), from Old French descrier (“to shout”) (modern décrier). Doublet of descry. The pejorative meaning had not been present in the Middle English loan, but it was present in the French word from at least the 13th century, with a meaning of "to denigrate; depreciate; to announce the depreciation or suppression of a currency", presumably from the interpretation of de- as meaning "down, inferior".
More words from Middle French, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian заклеймявам, порицавам
- заклеймявам (zaklejmjavam)to denounce as harmful
- порицавам (poricavam)to blame for ills
Chinese Mandarin 责难, 诋毁
- 责难 (zénàn)to denounce as harmful
- 诋毁 (dǐhuǐ)to blame for ills
- 诽谤 (fěibàng)to blame for ills
Czech odsuzovat, ostře kritizovat
- odsuzovatto denounce as harmful
- ostře kritizovatto denounce as harmful
- hanitto denounce as harmful
- zavrhovatto denounce as harmful
- obviňovatto blame for ills
- odsuzovatto blame for ills
- odsouditto blame for ills
Dutch laken
- lakento denounce as harmful
Finnish halventaa, saattaa huonoon valoon
- halventaato denounce as harmful
- saattaa huonoon valoonto denounce as harmful
French décrier, dénoncer
- décrierto denounce as harmful
- dénoncerto denounce as harmful
- blâmerto blame for ills
- critiquerto blame for ills
German herabsetzen, schlechtmachen
- herabsetzento denounce as harmful
- schlechtmachento denounce as harmful
- in Verruf bringento denounce as harmful
- verschreiento blame for ills
Hebrew גינה
- גינה (giná)to denounce as harmful
Italian denunciare, criticare
- denunciareto denounce as harmful
- criticareto blame for ills
- biasimareto blame for ills
Māori whakahahani
- whakahahanito denounce as harmful
Portuguese denunciar, criticar
- denunciarto denounce as harmful
- criticarto blame for ills
- menosprezarto blame for ills
Romanian denunța, blama
- denunțato denounce as harmful
- blamato denounce as harmful
- înfierato denounce as harmful
- condamnato denounce as harmful
- blamato blame for ills
- criticato blame for ills
Russian осужда́ть, порица́ть
- осужда́ть (osuždátʹ)to denounce as harmful
- порица́ть (poricátʹ)to denounce as harmful
- хули́ть (xulítʹ)to denounce as harmful
- ста́вить в вину (stávitʹ v vinu)to denounce as harmful
Swedish fördöma
- fördömato denounce as harmful
Turkish yermek, zemmetmek
- yermekto denounce as harmful
- zemmetmekto denounce as harmful
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with decry
All rhymes →Cite this entry
decry. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/decry
“decry.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/decry. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “decry,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/decry.
Source: decry on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.