denounce
Americanverb (used with object)
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to condemn or censure openly or publicly.
to denounce a politician as morally corrupt.
- Synonyms:
- brand, blame, stigmatize, attack
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to make a formal accusation against, as to the police or in a court.
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to give formal notice of the termination or denial of (a treaty, pact, agreement, or the like).
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Archaic. to announce or proclaim, especially as something evil or calamitous.
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Obsolete. to portend.
verb
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to deplore or condemn openly or vehemently
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to give information against; accuse
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to announce formally the termination of (a treaty, etc)
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obsolete
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to announce (something evil)
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to portend
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Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have denouncedperfect
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has denouncedperfect 3rd person singular
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is denouncingprogressive 3rd person singular
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am denouncingprogressive 1st person singular
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denouncingparticiple
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have been denouncingperfect progressive
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denouncessingular 3rd person
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has been denouncingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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are denouncingprogressive
Past
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had denouncedperfect
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were denouncingprogressive plural
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denouncedparticiple
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denouncedsimple
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had been denouncingperfect progressive
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was denouncingprogressive singular
Future
Etymology
Origin of denounce
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English denouncen, from Old French denoncier “to speak out,” from Latin dēnuntiāre “to threaten,” literally, “to announce from,” from dē- de- + nuntiāre “to announce” (derivative of nuntius “messenger”)
Explanation
To denounce is to tattle, rat out, or speak out against something. When you stand on your desk and tell the class that your partner is cheating, you denounce him or her. The prefix de- means "down," as in destroy or demolish (tear down). Add that to the Latin root nuntiare, meaning "announce," and de- plus announce equals denounce. It's a word that shows up in the headlines often, as a country might denounce a corrupt election. Politicians love to denounce the shady behavior or their opponents. Denounce can also mean the official end of something, like a treaty.
Vocabulary lists containing denounce
Grade 9, List 4
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "D"
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Persepolis
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Whether it immobilizes us, or instead we denounce and shout to the world what is happening."
From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026
The National Day Laborer Organizing Network announced a rally and press conference on Friday afternoon outside of the B-18 detention facility in downtown L.A. to denounce Villegas’ “unlawful arrest and incarceration.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
The Pope has used numerous public addresses to denounce global conflicts and urge de-escalation in the Middle East.
From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026
Before Putin confidant Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Wagner Group turned against Mr. Putin in their infamous mutiny of June 2023, Prigozhin took to Telegram to denounce Russia’s generals.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
Martin was perhaps the first public advocate of the “covenant with death” interpretation of the Constitution, as well as the first former delegate to denounce the Sectional Compromise as a corrupt bargain.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
