decry

UK: /dɪˈkraɪ/ US: /dɪˈkraɪ/ ,(di krī′)

Inflections of 'decry' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

decries

v 3rd person singular

decrying

v pres p

decried

v past

decried

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

de•cry /dɪˈkraɪ/   v. [ ~ + obj], -cried, -cry•ing. 

1. to condemn openly;
   denounce:
   decried the regime's ruthlessness.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

de•cry  (di krī′), v.t., -cried, -cry•ing. 

1. to speak disparagingly of;
   denounce as faulty or worthless;
   express censure of:
   She decried the lack of support for the arts in this country.
2. to condemn or depreciate by proclamation, as foreign or obsolete coins.

• French décrier, Old French descrier. See dis-¹, cry
• 1610–20

de•cri′er, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. belittle, disparage, discredit, depreciate, minimize.
  Decry, denigrate, deprecate, derogate all involve the expression of censure or disapproval.
  Decry means to express one's vigorous disapproval of or to denounce:
  to decry all forms of discrimination.
  Denigrate means to speak damagingly of, to criticize in derogative terms:
  denigrating his works as trifling and poorly executed.
  Deprecate implies the expression of earnest, thoughtful disapproval:
  to deprecate a plan because of possible environmental damage.
  Derogate means to speak in such a way as to decrease the status, high quality, or good reputation of someone or something, making the person or object seem of less value:
  Fear of change makes them derogate every proposal put forth.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

decry / dɪˈkraɪ/ verb ( -cries, -crying, -cried)(transitive)

1. to express open disapproval of; disparage
2. to depreciate by proclamation: to decry obsolete coinage

Etymology: 17th Century: from Old French descrier, from des- dis-¹ + crier to cry