decried; decrying
1
: to depreciate (something, such as a coin) officially or publicly
the king may at any time decry … any coin of the kingdom—
William Blackstone
William Blackstone2
: to express strong disapproval of
decry the emphasis on sex
… has decried the medical marijuana ballot initiative as being rife with loopholes.—Dan Sweeney
Dan Sweeney
Did you know?
Decry has several synonyms in English, among them disparage and belittle. Decry connotes an open condemnation that makes it the best choice for cases in which criticism is not at all veiled. The forthrightness expressed by the word is an echo from its ancestry: decry was borrowed in the 17th century from the French décrier, meaning "to discredit, depreciate," and the crier in that word is also the source of our word cry, the oldest meaning of which is “to utter loudly; shout.”
Synonyms
Examples of decry in a Sentence
In her article, she decries the pollution of the environment by manufacturers.
Violence on television is generally decried as harmful to children.
Recent Examples on the Web
Brendan Carr, the GOP commissioner often tipped as Trump’s likely pick for a new FCC chair, frequently decries the current rules as addressing a threat—providers outright blocking an app or hindering its performance—that no longer exists while giving the commission too much power over providers.
—Rob Pegoraro, PCMAG, 6 Nov. 2024
In the days since, high-profile Puerto Rican artists including Bad Bunny, Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez have taken to social media to decry Hinchcliffe’s remarks, while also sharing a Harris campaign video criticizing Trump’s 2017 response to Hurricane Maria with their millions of followers.
—Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024
Republican firebrands, like US Rep. Scott Perry from Pennsylvania, have decried these projects as wasteful and unnecessary.
—Vox Staff, Vox, 24 Oct. 2024
Broadway’s current Juliet, Rachel Zegler, decried the racist treatment of recent West End Juliet Francesca Amewudah-Rivers in an October 22 Teen Vogue interview.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for decry 
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Rob Pegoraro, PCMAG, 6 Nov. 2024
In the days since, high-profile Puerto Rican artists including Bad Bunny, Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez have taken to social media to decry Hinchcliffe’s remarks, while also sharing a Harris campaign video criticizing Trump’s 2017 response to Hurricane Maria with their millions of followers.
—Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024
Republican firebrands, like US Rep. Scott Perry from Pennsylvania, have decried these projects as wasteful and unnecessary.
—Vox Staff, Vox, 24 Oct. 2024
Broadway’s current Juliet, Rachel Zegler, decried the racist treatment of recent West End Juliet Francesca Amewudah-Rivers in an October 22 Teen Vogue interview.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for decry
Dictionary Entries Near decry
Cite this Entry
“Decry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decry. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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