denounce

[dih-nouns]

verb (used with object)

denounced, denouncing 

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

Other Word Forms

• denouncement noun
• denouncer noun
• undenounced 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

In response, Sheinbaum defended the admiral and said he helped denounce the thievery.

From Los Angeles Times

Tito denounced Mandaric as a "capitalist traitor" when the entrepreneur took his family to Switzerland.

From BBC

Waving banners, protesters have denounced the blackouts and accused the government of failing to guarantee basic rights.

From BBC

Israel's foreign ministry denounced the report as "distorted and false".

From BBC

At the ground level, thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of private citizens act as self-appointed KGB agents, poking their nose into other people’s business and publicly denouncing them to get them fired or otherwise harassed.

From Salon

Related Words

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