denounce
Americanverb (used with object)
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denounces,
present (3rd person singular)
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denounced,
past participle, past
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denouncing
present participle
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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
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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denouncesimple
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denouncessimple
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have denouncedperfect
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has denouncedperfect
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am denouncingprogressive
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are denouncingprogressive
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is denouncingprogressive
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have been denouncingperfect progressive
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has been denouncingperfect progressive
Past
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denouncedsimple
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had denouncedperfect
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was denouncingprogressive
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were denouncingprogressive
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had been denouncingperfect progressive
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.
See Examples For:
He recently went viral for a conversation he had with “Tommy,” an attendee at one of his events who wanted him to publicly denounce the Muslim Brotherhood.
From Slate ● Oct. 27, 2026
The values they invoke to denounce the West—democracy, equality, human rights—are very much part of that tradition.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
"We denounce and totally reject those claims that Africans are as guilty and complicit as those who masterminded this whole atrocity," he says.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
Officials were quick to denounce supposed efforts by the People’s Republic of China to influence U.S. policy, noting that Wang’s alleged involvement occurred before she was elected to public office.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026
“If you were going to denounce Mr. Johnson, like,” Malcolm said, naming a teacher whose pious fervor made him the least likely candidate, “who would you tell?”
From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman
Perhaps he should review the lesson of “Four O’Clock,” a third-season episode of “The Twilight Zone” in which a political fanatic denounces people he considers evil and suffers a comeuppance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
It denounces the judge’s “attempts to strip RIH of its ability to participate in these proceedings, and, by extension, to sever this court from the party whose rights are directly at stake.”
From Slate ● May 19, 2026
The government denounces attempts to "discredit" Smart Sampa, boasting the city had seen a nearly 15 percent drop in robberies in 2025.
From Barron's ● Mar. 17, 2026
Even Puerto Ricans who don't share the singer's background feel proud of how his music denounces our struggles while symbolising our culture and identity.
From BBC ● Feb. 10, 2026
Indeed, one of the books found in the bus with his remains was a collection of stories that included Tolstoy’s "The Kreutzer Sonata,” in which the nobleman-turned-ascetic denounces "the demands of the flesh.”
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
The agreement has drawn anger from the European Union, Greece, Israel and Egypt, who denounced it as an infringement of their sovereign rights and a violation of international law.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
In a social media post, Macron denounced the violence and said that vandals and looters will be "prosecuted and punished".
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
Bass denounced Raman’s remarks, saying it was “a lie” to portray Gates, who held his post from 1978 to 1992, as the gold standard for the city’s Latino residents.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Ms. James denounced rising antisemitism and said she stands with the Jewish community.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
He summarily rejected their offer to become the American Caesar and denounced the entire scheme as treason to the cause for which they had fought.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
His campaign erected billboards denouncing discrimination against the Sephardim, and his party accused Netanyahu of sidelining Sephardic members of Likud by limiting their media appearances during the campaign.
From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2026
Times with a big picture of me, sort of denouncing me.
From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026
“I wanted you to be aware of the situation and are hopefully proactive in denouncing his involvement on your team,” she wrote in the message, which was reviewed by ESPN.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
In 2020, she was among a cross-section of public figures who signed an open letter denouncing cancel culture, saying it weakens open debate by shutting people down.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
Outside, he debated whether to report the officer for denouncing Hitler.
From "Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
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