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GRE vocabulary

decry

verbHigh-frequency wordMore D words

to condemn or denounce openly

Word origin: From Old French descrier, to cry out against.

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In a sentence

Decry in a sentence

Here are example sentences showing decry in a sentence.

Activists decried the new policy as an attack on civil liberties.

Economists across the spectrum decried the tariffs as a needless drag on growth.

Synonyms
Antonyms
praiseextolcommend

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Verbal · Text Completion

The historian argued that the empire's collapse was not blank but the predictable outcome of decades of fiscal mismanagement that contemporaries had simply refused to acknowledge.

Select the word that best completes the sentence.

Usage & nuance

Using “decry” well

Decry means to condemn openly and publicly, pairing with denounce and censure. Note the homophone descry, an unrelated word meaning to catch sight of, a frequent spelling confusion.

Common questions

Questions about “decry”

Decry (verb) means to condemn or denounce openly
Here is decry used in an example sentence: "Activists decried the new policy as an attack on civil liberties." Another example: "Economists across the spectrum decried the tariffs as a needless drag on growth."
Common synonyms for decry include denounce, condemn, censure.
Antonyms of decry include praise, extol, commend.
Clusters with denounce, condemn, and censure in Sentence Equivalence. Antonyms praise, extol, and commend describe public approval.
Yes. Decry is a high-frequency GRE word, so it is worth prioritising as you build your vocabulary.

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