denounce
gb/dɪnˈaʊns/ us/dɪnˈaʊns/
C1
English
~ 7600
Senses
0 senses
Verb
formal
C1
action
1
publicly criticize as wrong
To say in public, often in strong words, that a person, action, or idea is very bad or wrong.
Usage pattern:
to denounce [someone/something] (as [adjective])
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "denounce" with "announce" because the words look similar. "Announce" means to tell people about something, often in a neutral way. "Denounce" always means to strongly say something is bad or wrong, usually in public. It is also more formal than simple verbs like "say" or "tell".
Synonyms
condemn (Very close in meaning; slightly more common and a bit broader in use, including both formal and everyday contexts.)
Antonyms
praise (Opposite because it expresses strong approval instead of strong public disapproval.)
Collocations
denounce the attack
|denounce violence
|denounce corruption
|denounce human rights abuses
|publicly denounce
|universally denounced
Themes
politics
|ethics
|media
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- International leaders quickly denounced the bombing as an act of terrorism.
- Several human rights groups denounced the new law as discriminatory and unjust.
- Her speech openly denounced corruption within the local government.
- The article strongly denounced the company’s treatment of its workers.
- Protesters gathered outside the embassy to denounce the decision.
Learner examples
- Many people denounced the plan as unfair.
- The president denounced the attack on television.
- Activists denounced the new rule as dangerous.
- The report denounced the company for lying to the public.
- Leaders around the world denounced the use of chemical weapons.
Verb
formal
C2
action
2
report someone to authorities
To tell the police or other authorities that someone has done something wrong or illegal.
Usage pattern:
to denounce [someone] to [the authorities]
Common mistake:
Learners may use this meaning when they only want to say "criticize". This sense requires informing some authority (like the police, a court, or an official body). If there is no authority involved, the general sense "denounce" = "strongly criticize" should be used instead.
Synonyms
inform on (Similar meaning but more informal and often used for secretly telling the authorities about someone, especially in a spying or criminal context.)
Antonyms
protect (Opposite in this context because it means to keep someone safe from blame or punishment instead of exposing their wrongdoing.)
Collocations
denounce someone to the police
|denounce a neighbor to the authorities
|denounce collaborators
|secretly denounce
|publicly denounced to the court
Themes
law
|crime
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The witness finally denounced his former partner to the police.
- Under the regime, people were afraid their own family might denounce them to the authorities.
- Several employees denounced the manager to the labor inspector for abusive behavior.
- He was denounced to the court as a traitor by his closest friend.
- Neighbors secretly denounced the gang leaders to the police.
Learner examples
- She denounced her husband to the police for fraud.
- The worker denounced his boss to the government office.
- Many people were denounced to the police during the war.
- He was afraid someone would denounce him to the authorities.
- The student denounced the teacher to the school director.
Verb
technical
C2
action
3
formally end a treaty
To officially say that a country or group will stop following a treaty or agreement.
Usage pattern:
to denounce [a treaty/agreement/convention]
Common mistake:
Learners may think this meaning is the same as simply "criticize" a treaty. Here it means to legally end or withdraw from the treaty, not just complain about it.
Synonyms
terminate (General legal term for ending an agreement; does not specifically carry the diplomatic or treaty-related nuance of "denounce".)
Antonyms
ratify (Opposite in a treaty context because it means to formally approve and accept a treaty rather than formally ending it.)
Collocations
denounce a treaty
|denounce an agreement
|denounce a convention
|formally denounce
|denounce the accord
Themes
law
|politics
|business
Examples
- The government announced its intention to denounce the trade treaty within six months.
- According to the agreement, any party may denounce the convention by giving one year’s notice.
- Several states threatened to denounce the pact after the new regulations were introduced.
- The country formally denounced the security treaty in a letter to the United Nations.
- Under international law, a state must follow specific procedures to denounce a treaty.
Learner examples
- The country decided to denounce the old treaty.
- Three nations said they would denounce the agreement next year.
- A state can denounce a convention if it no longer agrees with it.
- They announced that they would denounce the peace treaty.
- The leader promised not to denounce the climate deal.
Grammar
Dictionary form
denounce
IPA
GB/dɪnˈaʊns/
US/dɪnˈaʊns/
Syllables & stress
de - nounce (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (nounce)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: denounce
- 3rd Person Singular: denounces
- Present Participle: denouncing
- Past: denounced
Word family
Forms
denounces
verb
denouncing
verb
denounced
verb
Core family
denunciation
noun C1
Related words
denouncer
noun
Advanced or less common
denunciatory
adjective
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.