decry

American  

[dih-krahy] / dɪˈkraɪ /

verb (used with object)

decried, decrying

1. to speak disparagingly of; denounce as faulty or worthless; express censure of.

   She decried the lack of support for the arts in this country.

   Synonyms:

   minimize, depreciate, discredit, disparage, belittle

2. to condemn or depreciate by proclamation, as foreign or obsolete coins.

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decry British  

/ dɪˈkraɪ /

verb

1. to express open disapproval of; disparage

2. to depreciate by proclamation

   to decry obsolete coinage

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Related Words

Decry, denigrate, deprecate, derogate all involve the expression of censure or disapproval. Decry means to express one's vigorous disapproval of or to denounce: to decry all forms of discrimination. Denigrate means to speak damagingly of, to criticize in derogative terms: denigrating his works as trifling and poorly executed. Deprecate implies the expression of earnest, thoughtful disapproval: to deprecate a plan because of possible environmental damage. Derogate means to speak in such a way as to decrease the status, high quality, or good reputation of someone or something, making the person or object seem of less value: Fear of change makes them derogate every proposal put forth.

Other Word Forms

• decrial noun
• decrier noun
• undecried adjective

Etymology

Origin of decry

1610–20; < French décrier, Old French descrier. See dis- ¹, cry

Explanation

When you dye your hair pink and orange, your mother decries your act as a horror and bursts into tears. She criticizes your choice of colors, stating that pink and purple would have looked better. You might decry learning French, declaring it as a waste of time. Yet many English words come from French. When the French conquered England in 1066, they brought with them their language as well as their social system. Because French was spoken mostly by the ruling class, many of the loan words are formal. Decry comes from the Old French descrier, "to cry out" or "announce." When you decry something, you simultaneously condemn it and discredit it, a formal act.

Example Sentences

Black activists decry a ‘Free Palestine’ mural as offensive.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

Decorating their soldiers with colourful garlands, hundreds of Afghans rallied in border provinces to decry Pakistan killing civilians and to show support for their troops battling at the frontier.

From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026

Malinche’s portrayal as a valiant Cortés enabler doesn’t seem to bother audiences, though some decry the work’s pro-Spanish take on the Conquest.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 25, 2026

The conglomerates will decry government overreach and point to their investments in content and job creation.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 12, 2025

However, all writers about them, from Romans to modern zookeepers, decry their irascible temper and their nasty habit of biting people.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• belittle
• condemn
• denounce
• minimize