denounce
Americanverb (used with object)
-
denounces,
present (3rd person singular)
-
denounced,
past participle, past
-
denouncing
present participle
-
to condemn or censure openly or publicly.
to denounce a politician as morally corrupt.
- Synonyms:
- brand, blame, stigmatize, attack
-
to make a formal accusation against, as to the police or in a court.
-
to give formal notice of the termination or denial of (a treaty, pact, agreement, or the like).
-
Archaic. to announce or proclaim, especially as something evil or calamitous.
-
Obsolete. to portend.
verb
-
to deplore or condemn openly or vehemently
-
to give information against; accuse
-
to announce formally the termination of (a treaty, etc)
-
obsolete
-
to announce (something evil)
-
to portend
-
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
denouncesimple
-
denouncessimple
-
have denouncedperfect
-
has denouncedperfect
-
am denouncingprogressive
-
are denouncingprogressive
-
is denouncingprogressive
-
have been denouncingperfect progressive
-
has been denouncingperfect progressive
Past
-
denouncedsimple
-
had denouncedperfect
-
was denouncingprogressive
-
were denouncingprogressive
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "D"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Persepolis
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
It invited comparisons with Enoch Powell’s infamous “rivers of blood” speech, and went down so badly that he had to publicly denounce his own words some time later.
From Slate ● Jun. 23, 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
Riyadh and Abu Dhabi aren’t going to denounce Beijing in the United Nations or tear up contracts, but the relationships with China will change.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026
The Pope has used numerous public addresses to denounce global conflicts and urge de-escalation in the Middle East.
From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2026
I denounce because though implicated and partially responsible, I have been hurt to the point of abysmal pain, hurt to the point of invisibility.
From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison
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
He used to present as a staid mainline Episcopalian, but now he denounces that church and speaks of being “mauled by demons.”
From Salon ● May 19, 2025
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
In an open letter, signed by more than 150 filmmakers, academics, writers and even a few rabbis, the group denounced “the outrageous smear campaign against our respected colleague Mark Ruffalo.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
Eliza May’s novel, “Haeger Mass,” is a dark, weird tale of revenge and obsession that was denounced as immoral but attracted an intense cult following.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
His family have denounced "a campaign of sustained abuse" since his 2023 appointment.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
A study of more than one million children in Denmark last year found no link between aluminum in vaccines and childhood chronic diseases, but Kennedy denounced the study.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Mama denounced Chester as a money eater and said further that she suspected him of inviting mice and other unsavory characters into the newsstand at night.
From "The Cricket in Times Square" by George Selden
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
A coalition of religious and interfaith groups led by Washington-based Indian American Muslim Council intends to protest Saturday’s event and has a van with video monitors plying Manhattan streets denouncing it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Her government is trying to sever the link between popular culture and the criminal underworld, denouncing narcocorridos, songs which glorify criminals, as well as tackling crime head on.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
“We will never get tired of denouncing this atrocity.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
We distributed black-bordered leaflets, denouncing the police commissioner.
From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison
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.
