denounce

[ dih-nouns ]

verb (used with object)

, de·nounced, de·nounc·ing.

1. to condemn or censure openly or publicly:

   to denounce a politician as morally corrupt.

   Synonyms: brand, blame, stigmatize, attack

   Antonyms: commend, praise

2. to make a formal accusation against, as to the police or in a court.
3. to give formal notice of the termination or denial of (a treaty, pact, agreement, or the like).
4. Archaic. to announce or proclaim, especially as something evil or calamitous.
5. Obsolete. to portend.

denounce

/ dɪˈnaʊns /

verb

1. to deplore or condemn openly or vehemently
2. to give information against; accuse
3. to announce formally the termination of (a treaty, etc)
4. obsolete.
   1. to announce (something evil)
   2. to portend

Derived Forms

• deˈnouncer, noun
• deˈnouncement, noun

Other Words From

• de·nouncement noun
• de·nouncer noun
• unde·nounced adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of denounce¹

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”)

Word History and Origins

Origin of denounce¹

C13: from Old French denoncier to proclaim, from Latin dēnuntiāre to make an official proclamation, threaten, from de- + nuntiāre to announce

Example Sentences

She subsequently apologized and voted for a Democratic resolution denouncing hatred, though Pelosi and other leaders did not heed GOP calls to remove her from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

From Washington Post

Distancing himself from McCarthy’s approach, McConnell took the unusual step this week of publicly denouncing the “loony lies and conspiracy theories” of people such as Greene, whom he compared to a “cancer” in the party.

From Washington Post

Then Georgia Republicans sent a QAnon supporter to Congress, which prompted McCarthy to falsely claim Marjorie Taylor Greene had denounced it herself.

From Washington Post

And, in similar fashion, the elites being challenged were caught off guard by the suddenness and intensity and responded by denouncing those forces as misguided, misled and destructive.

From Time

In recent days former allies, including his political mentors and major donors, have denounced him.

From Washington Post

Did he denounce the involvement of organized crime in the abduction and disappearance of 43 students in the nearby city of Iguala?

From The Daily Beast

I stood with a tape recorder, listening to men denounce the liberal media controlled by Jews.

From The Daily Beast

Today, former TNR writers and the rest of the media establishment are racing to denounce Hughes.

From The Daily Beast

In the hours before his arrest, Choudary took to Twitter to denounce airstrikes against ISIS.

From The Daily Beast

Another faction says why should we denounce people who we have zero connection with?

From The Daily Beast

On one occasion he took the liberty, while preaching, to denounce a rich man in the community, recently deceased.

From Project Gutenberg

The philosophic Determinist would denounce the offender's conduct, but would not denounce the offender.

From Project Gutenberg

Many denounce the system of morning calls as silly, frivolous, and a waste of time.

From Project Gutenberg

He could not denounce her without proclaiming his own shame, and the clever woman traded on that.

From Project Gutenberg

Not exactly, except that I heard my stepfather denounce the doctor as an infernal cur and blackguard.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• accuse
• blame
• boycott
• brand
• castigate
• censure
• criticize
• decry
• excoriate
• prosecute
• rebuke
• revile
• scold
• threaten
• vilify