denounce

/diˈnaʊns/

Group 24Difficulty 1/3

Definition

(verb)
To publicly declare to be wrong or evil
GRE

Example in Context

Human rights organizations denounced the government's crackdown on peaceful demonstrators as a violation of international law.

Synonyms

condemncriticizeattack

Etymology

To announce down or publicly criticize.

  • de- (Latin) — down
  • nuntiare (Latin) — to announce

Memory Aid

📢Sounds like “the announce

If you hear ‘THE ANNOUNCE’ of bad news, someone’s about to DENOUNCE the villain!

Visual Association

🚨A news anchor urgently declaring a scandal, waving her arms dramatically to grab attention.

Semantic Clusters

Synonym Groups

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “denounce” mean on the GRE?

denounce (verb) means “To publicly declare to be wrong or evil”. Human rights organizations denounced the government's crackdown on peaceful demonstrators as a violation of international law.

How to remember “denounce” for the GRE?

Mnemonic: “denounce” sounds like “the announce”. If you hear ‘THE ANNOUNCE’ of bad news, someone’s about to DENOUNCE the villain!

What are synonyms for “denounce”?

Common synonyms: condemn, criticize, attack.