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.
He suggested comparisons of failing to act against the risks of AI today with the "delay with which both society and the Church came to denounce the scourge of slavery".
From BBC • May 25, 2026
Lemonis joined a slew of business executives to denounce California’s business environment.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026
The European Union was quick to denounce the idea Thursday.
From Barron's • Apr. 9, 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
She doesn’t say a word and I wonder if she’s going to the post office to denounce me for sleeping in my grandmother’s bed and wearing her black dress.
From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt
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.
