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decry: msg#00010

culture.language.word-of-the-day

Subject: decry

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The Word of the Day for April 11 is:

decry \dih-KRYE\ verb
1 : to depreciate (as a coin) officially or publicly
*2 : to express strong disapproval of

Example sentence:
My grandmother decried the laziness and disobedience that
she insisted was becoming the norm among young people today.

Did you know?
"Decry," "depreciate," "disparage," and "belittle" all
mean "to express a low opinion of something," but there are
also some subtle differences in their use. "Decry," which is a
descendant of the Old French verb "crier," meaning "to cry,"
implies open condemnation with intent to discredit ("he decried
her defeatist attitude"). "Depreciate" implies that something
is being represented as having less value than commonly
believed ("critics depreciated his plays for being unabashedly
sentimental"). "Disparage" implies depreciation by indirect
means, such as slighting or harmful comparison ("she disparaged
polo as a game for the rich"). "Belittle" usually suggests a
contemptuous or envious attitude ("he belittled the
achievements of others").

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.






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