What does decrying mean?
Decrying is the present participle and gerund of the verb decry, meaning to publicly condemn or denounce something. When someone is decrying a policy, a trend, or a decision, they are not merely criticising it quietly — they are voicing strong, open disapproval, often on moral grounds. The word carries a formal, weighty tone that makes it a staple of journalism and commentary: newspapers report politicians decrying corruption, experts decrying misinformation, and residents decrying the loss of local services. It entered English in the early seventeenth century, formed from the prefix de- plus the Latin clamare, meaning to cry out — the same root behind proclaim, exclaim, and acclaim. A useful point of caution: decrying is easily confused with descrying, which means catching sight of something distant. The distinction matters, since one letter separates spotting a ship on the horizon from condemning what it carries. For writers seeking a precise, elevated alternative to 'condemn' or 'criticize', decrying remains a reliable choice.
verbThe present participle and gerund of 'decry' — to publicly express strong disapproval of something; to condemn openly.
- To publicly denounce or condemn something as wrong or harmful.
- To express strong disapproval of something regarded as worthless or inferior (a slightly older, more formal shade).
"Critics have been decrying the government's failure to fund public transport for years."
"Editorials across the country were decrying the cuts to library funding."
"She wrote a letter decrying the decline of craftsmanship in modern furniture."
Swap one letter and 'decrying' becomes its near-opposite: to decry is to condemn, but to descry is to spot something far away.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of decrying
Decrying derives from the verb decry, which appeared in English in the early seventeenth century. It was formed from the prefix de-, indicating removal or reversal, combined with crie, from the Latin clamare, meaning 'to cry out'. The original sense involved crying something down publicly — literally shouting down its value — which evolved into the modern sense of open condemnation. It shares this Latin root clamare with words such as proclaim, exclaim, acclaim, declaim, and clamor.
Related word forms
How decrying is actually used
Formal to semi-formal in register, common in journalism and editorial writing. It implies open, often moral condemnation rather than mere criticism or complaint, and typically takes a direct object naming the thing condemned.
Easily confused with decrying
'Descrying' means catching sight of something distant or hidden, whereas 'decrying' means condemning it publicly — a difference of one letter with opposite meanings.