decry

verb

de·​cry di-ˈkrī 

dē-

decried; decrying

transitive verb

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

2

: to express strong disapproval of

decry the emphasis on sex

… has decried the medical marijuana ballot initiative as being rife with loopholes.

—Dan Sweeney

decrier

di-ˈkrī(-ə)r 

dē-

noun

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

• bad-mouth
• belittle
• cry down
• denigrate
• deprecate
• depreciate
• derogate
• diminish
• dis [slang]
• diss
• discount
• dismiss
• disparage
• kiss off
• minimize
• play down
• poor-mouth
• put down
• run down
• talk down
• trash
• trash-talk
• vilipend
• write off

Choose the Right Synonym for decry

decry, depreciate, disparage, belittle mean to express a low opinion of.

decry implies open condemnation with intent to discredit.

decried their defeatist attitude

depreciate implies a representing as being of less value than commonly believed.

critics depreciate his plays for being unabashedly sentimental

disparage implies depreciation by indirect means such as slighting or invidious comparison.

disparaged polo as a game for the rich

belittle usually suggests a contemptuous or envious attitude.

belittled the achievements of others

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

Take the United States’ persistent trade deficit with Germany, which Trump has decried since at least 2017. —Peter E. Harrell, Foreign Affairs, 19 Dec. 2024

When Mangione was arrested, police found a ghost gun, as well as a notebook with detailed plans of the killing, and a handwritten manifesto decrying the health insurance industry. —Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Dec. 2024

Environmental groups have decried the proposal, saying the state forest is home to fragile habitat in need of protection. —Emily L. Mahoney, Orlando Sentinel, 13 Dec. 2024

In the aftermath of the killing of the UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week, social media exploded with those decrying it and others lionizing the chief suspect, Luigi Mangione. —Thomas Brewster, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French décrier "to discredit, depreciate," going back to Middle French descrier (15th century), from des- de- + crier "to cry entry 1"

Note: A supposed 13th-century French usage of descrier in the sense "to announce (the depreciation or suppression of a currency)," mentioned without citation in the Französisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, has never been found and should probably be disregarded. See also note at descry entry 1.

First Known Use

1614, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

decry

verb

de·​cry di-ˈkrī 

1

: to express disrespect and scorn for : belittle

decry a hero's deeds

2

: to find fault with : condemn

decried the waste of resources

decrier

-ˈkrī(-ə)r 

noun