Dictionary

decry en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /dɪˈkɹaɪ/

Etymology

C. 1600, from Middle French decrier (“to denigrate; depreciate”), from Old French descrier (“to shout”) (modern décrier). Doublet of descry. The pejorative meaning had not been present in the Middle English loan, but it was present in the French word from at least the 13th century, with a meaning of "to denigrate; depreciate; to announce the depreciation or suppression of a currency", presumably from the interpretation of de- as meaning "down, inferior".

Meanings

1. (transitive) To denounce as harmful.
   • Nothing is more uſual and more natural for thoſe, vvho pretend to diſcover any thing nevv to the vvorld in philoſophy and the ſciences, than to inſinuate the praiſes of their ovvn ſystems, by decrying all thoſe, vvhich have been advanced before them. 1739, [David Hume], “Introduction”, in A Treatise of Human Nature: […], book I (Of the Understanding), London: […] John Noon, […], →OCLC:
   • For London, Beeching decries the low fares, resulting in an inability to justify investment in capacity enhancement despite severe overcrowding. 2023 March 8, Gareth Dennis, “The Reshaping of things to come...”, in RAIL, number 978, pages 47–48:
   • While decrying bureaucracy and demanding participatory democracy they, themselves, frequently attempt to manipulate the very group of workers, blacks or students on whose behalf they demand participation. 1970, Alvin Toffler, Future Shock: Bantam Books, page 474:
   • All of us seem to need some totalistic relationships in our lives. But to decry the fact that we cannot have only such relationships is nonsense. 1970, Alvin Toffler, Future Shock: Bantam Books, page 99:
2. (transitive) To blame for ills.

Forms

Deriveds

decrial · undecried · decriable · decryingly

Translations (47)

cs obviňovat (to blame for ills) · kk сөгу (to denounce as harmful) · de verschreien (to blame for ills) · cs hanit (to denounce as harmful) · fr critiquer (to blame for ills) · ru ста́вить в вину (to denounce as harmful) · tr yermek (to denounce as harmful) · sv fördöma (to denounce as harmful) · cs odsoudit (to blame for ills) · fr dénoncer (to denounce as harmful) · it criticare (to blame for ills) · kk айыптау (to denounce as harmful) · pt denunciar (to denounce as harmful) · ro blama (to blame for ills) · tr zemmetmek (to denounce as harmful) · fi saattaa huonoon valoon (to denounce as harmful) · fr décrier (to denounce as harmful) · bg заклеймявам (to denounce as harmful) · nl laken (to denounce as harmful) · cs ostře kritizovat (to denounce as harmful) · fi halventaa (to denounce as harmful) · mi whakahahani (to denounce as harmful) · cmn 诽谤 (to blame for ills) · de schlechtmachen (to denounce as harmful) · de in Verruf bringen (to denounce as harmful) · ro blama (to denounce as harmful) · cmn 诋毁 (to blame for ills) · cs odsuzovat (to blame for ills) · fr blâmer (to blame for ills) · kk әшкерелеу (to denounce as harmful) · cs odsuzovat (to denounce as harmful) · it biasimare (to blame for ills) · bg порицавам (to blame for ills) · cs zavrhovat (to denounce as harmful) · he גינה (to denounce as harmful) · ru осужда́ть (to denounce as harmful) · ro denunța (to denounce as harmful) · ro înfiera (to denounce as harmful) · pt menosprezar (to blame for ills) · ro condamna (to denounce as harmful) · de herabsetzen (to denounce as harmful) · it denunciare (to denounce as harmful) · cmn 责难 (to denounce as harmful) · ru порица́ть (to denounce as harmful) · ru хули́ть (to denounce as harmful) · ro critica (to blame for ills) · pt criticar (to blame for ills)