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 money

… 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 suggests 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 verb décrier, meaning “to discredit, to lower in honor or esteem,” and the crier in that word is related to the Anglo-French crier, source of the English verb cry, the oldest meaning of which is “to utter loudly; shout.” Be careful not to confuse decry with the similar-looking (and possibly related) verb descry, meaning “to catch sight of” or “to reveal.”

Synonyms of decry

• dismiss
• minimize
• criticize
• diminish

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

The Chinese Communist Party is resurrecting one of its favorite complaints against the Japanese government, decrying officials’ routine visit to a shrine honoring dead soldiers of World War II. —Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 22 Apr. 2026

Local leaders gathered Monday and decried the shocking killings that have left a community shaken. —Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026

Many of those who were at the facility on Saturday returned to the Capitol on Monday to decry law enforcement’s reaction. —Scott Bauer, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026

Many of those who were at the facility on Saturday returned to the Capitol on Monday to decry law enforcement's reaction. —CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026

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

Rhymes for decry

• apply
• awry
• belie
• bely
• bigeye
• bonsai
• buckeye
• comply
• coxae
• defy
• deny
• descry

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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