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.”
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
Many of Joaquin's accusers decried his state-level plea deal with the California Attorney General's Office as too lenient.
—Luc Cohen, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
Every political leader must loudly and clearly decry this violence.
—Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2025
Since taking over the district, Cassellius has repeatedly decried the devastating effects of gun violence on students and teachers.
—David Clarey, jsonline.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Pig heads appeared outside several mosques around Paris on Tuesday, authorities said, decrying the insult to Muslims.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decry
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Luc Cohen, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
Every political leader must loudly and clearly decry this violence.
—Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2025
Since taking over the district, Cassellius has repeatedly decried the devastating effects of gun violence on students and teachers.
—David Clarey, jsonline.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Pig heads appeared outside several mosques around Paris on Tuesday, authorities said, decrying the insult to Muslims.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decry
Cite this Entry
“Decry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decry. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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