MEANING
To publicly criticize something as wrong, harmful, or inferior.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- decry an injustice
- widely decried
On the page
She decried the tribunal’s secrecy in an open letter.
The poet decried the destruction of the old quarter.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- decry
- Past tense
- decried
- Past participle
- decried
- Present participle
- decrying
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- decry
- Present continuous
- am/is/are decrying
- Present perfect
- have/has decried
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been decrying
- Past
- decried
- Past continuous
- was/were decrying
- Past perfect
- had decried
- Past perfect continuous
- had been decrying
- Future
- will decry
- Future continuous
- will be decrying
- Future perfect
- will have decried
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been decrying
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Explore related collections
Usage notes
Primary category: literary. Forms: decry; decries; decried; decried; decrying Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: decries.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
Keep a thought for later. Sign in to save privately.