Dictionary

denounce en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /diˈnaʊns/
• /dəˈnaʊns/
• (UK) audio
• (US) audio
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

From Old French denuncier, from Latin dēnūntiō (“to announce, to denounce, to threaten”), from de + nūntiō (“to announce, to report, to denounce”), from nūntius (“messenger, message”). Doublet of denunciate.

Meanings

1. (obsolete, transitive) To make known in a formal manner; to proclaim; to announce; to declare.
   • Nero[…]sent his Satellites or officers toward him, to denounce the decree of his death to him[…]. 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 35, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:
   • And full of peace, denouncing wrath to come 1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost:
2. (transitive) To criticize or speak out against (someone or something); to point out as deserving of reprehension, etc.; to openly accuse or condemn in a threatening manner; to invoke censure upon; to stigmatize; to blame.
   • to denounce someone as a swindler, or as a coward
   • It is the latest step towards an airline-style advance booking-only system, which rail users have denounced as signalling the end of affordable, immediate travel. 2024 February 7, Mel Holley, “Network News: LNER ditches Off-Peak for 70min semi-flexible fare”, in RAIL, number 1002, page 6:
   • Mr. Cameron had a respite Thursday from the negative chatter swirling around him when he appeared outside 10 Downing Street to denounce the murder a day before of a British soldier on a London street. 2013 May 23, Sarah Lyall, “British Leader’s Liberal Turn Sets Off a Rebellion in His Party”, in New York Times, retrieved 29 May 2013:
3. (transitive) To make a formal or public accusation against; to inform against; to accuse.
   • to denounce a confederate in crime
   • to denounce someone to the authorities
4. (obsolete, transitive) To proclaim in a threatening manner; to threaten by some outward sign or expression; make a menace of.
   • to denounce war; to denounce punishment
5. (transitive) To announce the termination of; especially a treaty or armistice.
   • A Contracting State may denounce this Convention, or Part II or Part III of the Convention, by a formal notification in writing addressed to the depositary. 2021, Legislative Council of Hong Kong, “Sale of Goods (United Nations Convention) Ordinance”, in Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Gazette, page A3313:
   • It would be possible to “denounce” (leave) the Convention altogether, but short of that, legislation to restore the death penalty would place the UK government in breach of its treaty obligations under the ECHR; it would breach international law. 2020 December 29, Matthew Scott, “How could Priti Patel reintroduce the death penalty?”, in BarristerBlogger (blog), archived from the original on 30 Dec 2020:
6. (US, historical) To claim the right of working a mine that is abandoned or insufficiently worked.

Forms

Deriveds

undenounced · denouncer · redenounce · denouncement · denounceable

Relateds

announce (Terms related via Latin nūntiō) · denunciation · denunciative · pronounce (Terms related via Latin nūntiō) · enounce (Terms related via Latin nūntiō) · denunciatory · denunciate · denunciator · renounce (Terms related via Latin nūntiō)

Synonyms

scold · upbraid · bash · wite · chide · vituperate · reprehend · cop out · proscribe · fulminate · criticize · lay on · lay something at the feet of · shend · drag · lecture · inculpate · defame · lay at someone's door · put someone on blast · derogate · tear into · scorch · chew out · get down · lash · deprecate · eat someone alive · decry · condemn · rip into · dispraise · put it to · rubbish · lay into · skewer · give somebody what-for · tilt · damn · make known · get at · attack · denounce · get up · berisp · tosh · herald · animadvert · sound · tick off · find fault · dress down · point the bone · denounce · objurgate · read somebody the riot act · castigate · censure · blame · give somebody a piece of one's mind · chastise · bawl out · keelhaul · challenge · lambaste · light into · pooh-pooh · reprove · rate · berate · promulgate · denunciate · cannonade · patronize · reproach · finger · blame · lace into · charge · inveigh · rebuke · inveigh against · accuse · put the blame on · slam · slash · vilify · atwite · excoriate · decry · bumble · reprimand · charge · condemn · discredit · savage · threap · criticize · fault · admonish · slate · tell off · twit · report · blast

Translations (106)

ka გაკიცხვა (to criticize or speak out against) · cmn 宣佈廢止 /宣布废止 (to announce the termination of; especially a treaty) · ru доноси́ть (to make a formal or public accusation against) · ar وَشَى (to make a formal or public accusation against) · fi ilmiantaa (to make a formal or public accusation against) · de anzeigen (to make a formal or public accusation against) · gd troid (to criticize or speak out against) · he הוקיע (to criticize or speak out against) · cs nařknout (to make a formal or public accusation against) · fi syyttää (to make a formal or public accusation against) · pl potępić (to criticize or speak out against) · he גינה (to proclaim in a threatening manner) · pl zadenuncjować (to make known in a formal manner) · bg обвинявам (to make a formal or public accusation against) · cs vyhlásit (to proclaim in a threatening manner) · cmn 譴責 /谴责 (to make a formal or public accusation against) · mi whakahorihori (to criticize or speak out against) · fi julistaa (to make known in a formal manner) · he גינה (to criticize or speak out against) · fi antaa ilmi (to make a formal or public accusation against) · ru денонси́ровать (to announce the termination of; especially a treaty) · da beskylde (to criticize or speak out against) · ru извеща́ть (to make known in a formal manner) · sv rapportera (to make a formal or public accusation against) · hu erőteljesen kritizál (to criticize or speak out against) · gd troid (to proclaim in a threatening manner) · cmn 非難 /非难 (to proclaim in a threatening manner) · fi sanoa irti (to announce the termination of; especially a treaty) · eo denunci (to criticize or speak out against) · da anklage (to make a formal or public accusation against) · grc καταγγέλλω (to make a formal or public accusation against) · pl wypowiedzieć (to announce the termination of; especially a treaty) · he גינה (to make a formal or public accusation against) · nl aanklagen (to criticize or speak out against) · de verurteilen (to criticize or speak out against) · ru обвиня́ть (to make a formal or public accusation against) · sv anmäla (to make a formal or public accusation against) · da opsige (to announce the termination of; especially a treaty) · sv fördöma (to criticize or speak out against) · ru оглаша́ть (to make known in a formal manner) · fr dénoncer (to criticize or speak out against) · ru осведомля́ть (to make known in a formal manner) · la damno (to make a formal or public accusation against) · ru оповеща́ть (to make known in a formal manner) · sv anklaga (to criticize or speak out against) · cmn 指控 (to make a formal or public accusation against) · he הוקיע (to make a formal or public accusation against) · cs označit (to make known in a formal manner) · got 𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌵𐌹𐌸𐌰𐌽 (to criticize or speak out against) · gd rach an aghaidh (to criticize or speak out against) · bg оповестявам (to make known in a formal manner) · fi tuomita (to criticize or speak out against) · cmn 告發 /告发 (to make a formal or public accusation against) · ka დაგმობა (to criticize or speak out against) · sv föreskriva (to make known in a formal manner) · sv säga upp (to announce the termination of; especially a treaty) · nl aanklagen (to make a formal or public accusation against) · he הוקיע (to proclaim in a threatening manner) · cmn 公佈 /公布 (to make known in a formal manner) · cmn 指責 /指责 (to criticize or speak out against) · es denunciar (to make a formal or public accusation against) · sv beskylla (to criticize or speak out against) · fr balancer (to make a formal or public accusation against) · cs vypovědět (to announce the termination of; especially a treaty) · cmn 威脅 /威胁 (to proclaim in a threatening manner) · da bekendtgøre (to make known in a formal manner) · ja 非難する (to proclaim in a threatening manner) · fi ilmoittaa (to make known in a formal manner) · de kündigen (to announce the termination of; especially a treaty) · es funar (to criticize or speak out against) · nl afkeuren (to criticize or speak out against) · sv kritisera (to criticize or speak out against) · de aufkündigen (to announce the termination of; especially a treaty) · pt acusar (to make a formal or public accusation against) · mi whakahahani (to criticize or speak out against) · ru порица́ть (to criticize or speak out against) · cmn 宣佈 /宣布 (to make known in a formal manner) · gd càin (to criticize or speak out against) · nl beschuldigen (to criticize or speak out against) · pt denunciar (to criticize or speak out against) · fi julistaa (to proclaim in a threatening manner) · la damno (to criticize or speak out against) · bg порицавам (to criticize or speak out against) · ca denunciar (to criticize or speak out against) · fr dénoncer (to announce the termination of; especially a treaty) · sv kunggöra (to make known in a formal manner) · ru осужда́ть (to criticize or speak out against) · mi whakahorihori (to make a formal or public accusation against) · cs nařknout (to criticize or speak out against) · ru разоблача́ть (to make a formal or public accusation against) · gd cronaich (to criticize or speak out against) · nl opzeggen (to announce the termination of; especially a treaty) · fi irtisanoa (to announce the termination of; especially a treaty) · bg денонсирам (to announce the termination of; especially a treaty) · ru угрожа́ть (to proclaim in a threatening manner) · bg осъждам (to criticize or speak out against) · nl bekendmaken (to make known in a formal manner) · ka მხილება (to make a formal or public accusation against) · es denunciar (to criticize or speak out against) · cmn 譴責 /谴责 (to criticize or speak out against) · fr dénoncer (to make a formal or public accusation against) · ru облича́ть (to criticize or speak out against) · cmn 通告 (to make known in a formal manner) · ru пригрози́ть (to proclaim in a threatening manner) · ca denunciar (to make a formal or public accusation against) · sk udať (to make known in a formal manner)