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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.”
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“Decry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decry. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.
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