cry

Use cry in a sentence

noun

The definition of a cry is a shedding of tears or a calling out.
An example of a cry is a scream for help.

verb

Cry is defined as to shed tears or call out.
An example of to cry is to release tears after hearing sad news.

cry

intransitive verb

cried, cry′ing

to make a loud vocal sound or utterance; call out, as for help; shout
to sob and shed tears, in expressing sorrow, pain, grief, etc.; weep
1. to plead or clamor (for)
2. to show or suggest a great need (for): problems crying for solution
to utter its characteristic call: said of an animal

Origin of cry

Middle English crien from Old French crier from Classical Latin quiritare, to wail, shriek (var. of quirritare, to squeal like a pig from an unverified form quis, echoic of a squeal); associated, association in ancient folk etymology with Classical Latin Quirites, Roman citizens (as if meaning “to call the Quirites,” implore their help)

to plead or beg for: to cry quarter
to utter loudly; shout; exclaim
to call out (wares for sale, services offered, etc.); announce publicly
to bring into a specified condition by crying: to cry oneself asleep

noun

pl. cries

a loud vocal sound expressing pain, anger, fright, joy, etc.
any loud utterance; shout
an announcement or advertisement called out publicly
an urgent appeal; plea
popular report; rumor; rallying call or battle cry; watchword
the current opinion or fashion
clamor of the people; public outcry
a slogan
a sobbing and shedding of tears; fit of weeping
the characteristic vocal sound of an animal
1. the baying of hounds in the chase
2. a pack of hounds

Origin of cry

ME & OFr cri < the v.

cry Idioms

a far cry

a great distance; long way
a thing much different

cry down

to belittle; disparage

cry in one's beer

Informal to lament or complain in a maudlin manner

cry off

to withdraw from an agreement or undertaking

cry one's eyes out

to weep much and bitterly

cry out

to shout; yell
to complain loudly

cry up

to shout praise of; praise highly

in full cry

in eager pursuit: said of a pack of hounds

cry

verb

cried, cry·ing, cries,

verb

intransitive

To shed tears, especially as a result of strong emotion such as grief, sorrow, pain, or joy.
To call loudly; shout.
To utter a characteristic sound or call. Used of an animal.
To demand or require immediate action or remedy: grievances crying out for redress.

verb

transitive

To utter loudly; call out.
To proclaim or announce in public: crying one's wares in the marketplace.
To bring into a particular condition by weeping: cry oneself to sleep.
Archaic To beg for; implore: cry forgiveness.

noun

pl. cries,

A loud utterance of an emotion, such as fear, anger, or despair.
A loud exclamation; a shout or call.
A fit of weeping: had a good long cry.
An urgent entreaty or appeal.
A public or general demand or complaint.
A common view or general report.
An advertising of wares by calling out: vendors' cries at the fish market.
A rallying call or signal: a cry to arms.
A slogan, especially a political one.
The characteristic call or utterance of an animal.
a. The baying of hounds during the chase.
b. A pack of hounds.
Obsolete Clamor; outcry.
Obsolete A public announcement; a proclamation.

Phrasal Verbs: cry down To belittle or disparage. cry off To break or withdraw from a promise, agreement, or undertaking. cry up To praise highly; extol.

Origin of cry

Middle English crien from Old French crier from Vulgar Latin critāre from Latin quirītāre to cry out perhaps from Quirītēs public officers to whom one would cry out in times of need

cry

cry weep wail keen ²whimper sob blubber ¹

These verbs mean to make inarticulate sounds of grief, unhappiness, or pain. Cry and weep both involve the shedding of tears; cry more strongly implies accompanying sound: “She cried without trying to suppress any of the noisier manifestations of grief and confusion” (J. D. Salinger). “I weep for what I'm like when I'm alone” (Theodore Roethke). Wail refers primarily to sustained, inarticulate mournful sound: “The women . . . began to wail together; they mourned with shrill cries” (Joseph Conrad). Keen suggests wailing and lamentation for the dead: “It is the wild Irish women keening over their dead” (George A. Lawrence). Whimper refers to low, plaintive, broken or repressed cries: The condemned prisoner cowered and began to whimper for clemency. Sob describes weeping or a mixture of broken speech and weeping marked by convulsive breathing or gasping: “sobbing and crying, and wringing her hands as if her heart would break” (Laurence Sterne). Blubber refers to noisy shedding of tears accompanied by broken or inarticulate speech: “When he drew out what had been a fiddle, crushed to morsels in the greatcoat, he blubbered aloud” (Emily Brontë).

Verb

(third-person singular simple present cries, present participle crying, simple past and past participle cried)

(intransitive) To shed tears; to weep.
That sad movie always makes me cry.
To utter loudly; to call out; to declare publicly.
(intransitive) To shout, scream, yell.
(intransitive) To utter inarticulate sounds, as animals do.
To cause to do something, or bring to some state, by crying or weeping.
to cry oneself to sleep
To make oral and public proclamation of; to notify or advertise by outcry, especially things lost or found, goods to be sold, etc.
to cry goods
Hence, to publish the banns of, as for marriage.

Antonyms

laugh

Noun

(plural cries)

A shedding of tears; the act of crying.
After we broke up, I retreated to my room for a good cry.
A shout or scream.
I heard a cry from afar.
Words shouted or screamed.
a battle cry
(collectively) A group of hounds.
(intransitive, of an animal) A typical sound made by the species in question.
"Woof" is the cry of a dog, while "neigh" is the cry of a horse.
A desperate or urgent request.

Origin

From Middle English crien, from Old French crier, ("to announce publicly, proclaim, scream, shout"; > Medieval Latin crīdāre (“to cry out, shout, publish, proclaim”)), from Frankish *krītan (“to cry, cry out, publish”), from Proto-Germanic *krītaną (“to cry out, shout”), from Proto-Indo-European *greyd- (“to shout”). Cognate with Dutch krijten (“to cry”), Middle Low German krīten (“to cry, call out, shriek”), German kreißen (“to cry loudly, wail, groan”), Gothic (kreitan, “to cry, scream, call out”), Middle Irish grith (“a cry”), Welsh gryd (“a scream”).

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Sentence Examples

Words near cry in the dictionary

cry

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cry

Sentence Examples

Words near cry in the dictionary

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