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
California Their work in peril, UCLA researchers decry Trump administration funding cuts at protest
April 9, 2025
A favorite professor, who specialized in eye infection and inflammation, steered her into ophthalmology and helped Acharya find her life’s passion.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2025
The Anti-Defamation League and Harvard’s Hillel chapter have expressed appreciation for the administration’s focus on antisemitism but also decried funding cuts as overreach with the potential to harm Jewish students.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2025
The Pope had long decried violence in the Middle East and called vocally for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
—Natasha Turak, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2025
And in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, Francis decried antisemitism and called for the release of the hostages held by Hamas while also increasingly criticizing Israel’s conduct in Gaza — which drew criticism from Jewish leaders.
—Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decry
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Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2025
The Anti-Defamation League and Harvard’s Hillel chapter have expressed appreciation for the administration’s focus on antisemitism but also decried funding cuts as overreach with the potential to harm Jewish students.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2025
The Pope had long decried violence in the Middle East and called vocally for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
—Natasha Turak, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2025
And in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, Francis decried antisemitism and called for the release of the hostages held by Hamas while also increasingly criticizing Israel’s conduct in Gaza — which drew criticism from Jewish leaders.
—Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 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 11 May. 2025.
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