denunciator
Definition
- Noun:
- One who denounces: a person who publicly declares someone or something to be wrong or evil, often in a formal or official manner.
- An accuser: someone who brings charges against another, especially in a legal or public context.
- A critic: a person who harshly condemns or exposes wrongdoing.
Usage Examples
- (A person who formally accuses someone of wrongdoing.)
- (A person who condemns evil or wrong actions.)
- (A person who publicly reveals and condemns misconduct.)
Advanced Usage
"to act as a denunciator": to take on the role of publicly accusing or condemning.
- In the trial, the witness acted as a denunciator, providing evidence of the crime. (The witness formally accused the defendant.)
"a denunciator of vice": a person who speaks out against moral wrongdoing.
- The priest was a denunciator of vice, preaching against greed and dishonesty. (The priest condemned immoral behaviour.)
Variants and Related Words
Denunciatory (adj): expressing strong disapproval or condemnation.
- The editorial had a denunciatory tone, attacking the government's policies. (The article strongly condemned the policies.)
Denunciation (n): the act of publicly condemning or accusing.
- His denunciation of the company's practices led to a public outcry. (The act of condemning the company's actions.)
Synonyms
- Accuser: one who claims that someone has done something wrong.
- Condemner: one who expresses strong disapproval of someone or something.
- Informant: one who reports wrongdoing, often to authorities (though less negative than denunciator).
Related Idioms
"to point the finger at": to accuse or blame someone.
- The denunciator pointed the finger at the treasurer for the missing funds. (The accuser blamed the treasurer.)
"to name and shame": to publicly identify and criticize someone for wrongdoing.
- The activist group acted as a denunciator, naming and shaming companies that used child labour. (The group publicly condemned the companies.)
Phrasal Verbs
- Denounce as: to declare someone or something to be a particular type of wrongdoer.
- The leader was denounced as a tyrant by the denunciator. (The accuser called the leader a tyrant.)