Cry Definition and Meaning
By Tayyaba Rehman & Fiza Rafique — Published on March 8, 2024
Cry means to shed tears as an expression of emotion, such as sadness, joy, or frustration. e.g., She couldn't help but cry during the emotional movie.
Table of Contents
Cry Definitions
To shed tears as a response to an emotional state or pain.
The baby will cry when he's hungry.
To announce or proclaim something loudly.
The town crier would cry the news in the square.
To express a need or desire fervently.
The land cries out for rain after the long drought.
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.
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.
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.
The baying of hounds during the chase.
A pack of hounds.
(Obsolete) Clamor; outcry.
(Obsolete) A public announcement; a proclamation.
(intransitive) To shed tears; to weep.
That sad movie always makes me cry.
(transitive) To utter loudly; to call out; to declare publicly.
(ambitransitive) To shout, scream, yell.
(intransitive) To utter inarticulate sounds, as animals do.
(transitive) To cause to do something, or bring to some state, by crying or weeping.
Tonight I’ll cry myself to sleep.
To make oral and public proclamation of; to notify or advertise by outcry, especially things lost or found, goods to be sold, auctioned, etc.
To cry goods
Hence, to publish the banns of, as for marriage.
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
A clamour or outcry.
(collectively) A group of hounds.
A pack or company of people.
(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.
(obsolete) Common report; gossip.
To make a loud call or cry; to call or exclaim vehemently or earnestly; to shout; to vociferate; to proclaim; to pray; to implore.
And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice.
Clapping their hands, and crying with loud voice.
Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry unto thee.
The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord.
Some cried after him to return.
To utter lamentations; to lament audibly; to express pain, grief, or distress, by weeping and sobbing; to shed tears; to bawl, as a child.
Ye shall cry for sorrow of heart.
I could find it in my heart to disgrace my man's apparel and to cry like a woman.
To utter inarticulate sounds, as animals.
The young ravens which cry.
In a cowslip's bell I lieThere I couch when owls do cry.
To utter loudly; to call out; to shout; to sound abroad; to declare publicly.
All, all, cry shame against ye, yet I 'll speak.
The man . . . ran on,crying, Life! life! Eternal life!
To cause to do something, or bring to some state, by crying or weeping; as, to cry one's self to sleep.
To make oral and public proclamation of; to declare publicly; to notify or advertise by outcry, especially things lost or found, goods to be sold, ets.; as, to cry goods, etc.
Love is lost, and thus she cries him.
To publish the banns of, as for marriage.
I should not be surprised if they were cried in church next Sabbath.
Men of dissolute lives cry down religion, because they would not be under the restraints of it.
A loud utterance; especially, the inarticulate sound produced by one of the lower animals; as, the cry of hounds; the cry of wolves.
Outcry; clamor; tumult; popular demand.
Again that cry was found to have been as unreasonable as ever.
Any expression of grief, distress, etc., accompanied with tears or sobs; a loud sound, uttered in lamentation.
There shall be a great cry throughout all the land.
An infant crying in the night,An infant crying for the light;And with no language but a cry.
Loud expression of triumph or wonder or of popular acclamation or favor.
The cry went once on thee.
Importunate supplication.
O, the most piteous cry of the poor souls.
Public advertisement by outcry; proclamation, as by hawkers of their wares.
The street cries of London.
Common report; fame.
The cry goes that you shall marry her.
A word or phrase caught up by a party or faction and repeated for effect; as, the party cry of the Tories.
All now depends upon a good cry.
A pack of hounds.
A cry more tunableWas never hollaed to, nor cheered with horn.
A pack or company of persons; - in contempt.
Would not this . . . get me a fellowship in a cry of players?
The crackling noise made by block tin when it is bent back and forth.
A loud utterance; often in protest or opposition;
The speaker was interrupted by loud cries from the rear of the audience
A loud utterance of emotion (especially when inarticulate);
A cry of rage
A yell of pain
A slogan used to rally support for a cause;
A cry to arms
Our watchword will be `democracy'
A fit of weeping;
Had a good cry
The characteristic utterance of an animal;
Animal cries filled the night
Utter a sudden loud cry;
She cried with pain when the doctor inserted the needle
I yelled to her from the window but she couldn't hear me
Shed tears because of sadness, rage, or pain;
She cried bitterly when she heard the news of his death
The girl in the wheelchair wept with frustration when she could not get up the stairs
Utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy;
`I won!' he exclaimed
`Help!' she cried
`I'm here,' the mother shouted when she saw her child looking lost
Proclaim or announce in public;
Before we had newspapers, a town cryer would cry the news
He cried his merchandise in the market square
Demand immediate action;
This situation is crying for attention
Utter a characteristic sound;
The cat was crying
Bring into a particular state by crying;
The little boy cried himself to sleep
To shout or scream, especially to express fear, pain, or excitement.
Fans cry out in excitement at the concert.
To make a loud demand or appeal.
The protestors cry for justice in the streets.
To call or summon someone or something.
Lost in the woods, she cried for help.
In animals, to emit a loud call or sound.
The wolves cry to each other in the night.
To advocate or campaign for something passionately.
He cries against injustice in his writings.
To lament or express sorrow for something.
She cried over the loss of her cherished pet.
To have a particular quality or need that is obvious or apparent.
The old house cries for renovation.
Cry Snonyms
Wail
To make a prolonged high-pitched cry of pain, grief, or anger.
The child wailed after falling and scraping his knee.
Sob
To cry noisily, making loud, convulsive gasps.
After the movie, they were sobbing from sadness.
Lament
To mourn (a person's loss or death) or express one's deep grief.
They lamented the loss of their beloved pet.
Bawl
To cry or wail with great lustre.
The baby bawled until it was picked up and comforted.
Whimper
To cry softly and intermittently; make a low, feeble sound expressive of fear or pain.
The injured dog whimpered when it moved.
Shed tears
To cry or weep.
He couldn't help but shed tears during the emotional scene.
Moan
To make a long, low sound expressing physical or mental suffering.
He moaned in despair when he saw the destruction.
Blubber
To cry noisily, typically with making loud, snorting sounds.
She blubbered through the entire apology.
Snivel
To cry and sniffle in a feeble or fretful way.
The child sniveled, not wanting to go to school.
Weep
To shed tears, typically as an expression of distress, pain, or sorrow.
She began to weep uncontrollably at the news.
Cry Idioms & Phrases
Cry over spilled milk
To lament over past mistakes or losses that cannot be undone.
He lost the game, but there's no use crying over spilled milk.
Cry your heart out
To cry very hard or intensely.
After the breakup, she just wanted to cry her heart out.
A far cry from
Very different from; not similar to.
This tiny apartment is a far cry from their spacious house.
Cry havoc
To signal an onset of chaos or destruction.
The general cried havoc and let slip the dogs of war.
For crying out loud
An expression of frustration or impatience.
For crying out loud, just make up your mind!
Cry wolf
To raise a false alarm; to ask for help when it's not needed.
If you keep crying wolf, people might not believe you when you're actually in trouble.
Cry me a river
A sarcastic way of saying you have no sympathy for someone's complaints.
You didn't do your homework again? Cry me a river!
Cry uncle
To admit defeat or signal that one can no longer endure something.
After hours of negotiation, they finally cried uncle and agreed to the terms.
Cry in your beer
To be overly sentimental or self-pitying in expressing one's woes.
No more crying in your beer; it's time to face the problem.
Cry the blues
To complain or express sadness about one's situation.
He's been crying the blues ever since he lost his job.
Cry foul
To protest that something is unfair.
The losing team cried foul over the referee's decision.
Cry to the moon
To make a futile request or to lament pointlessly.
Complaining about the weather is like crying to the moon.
Cry on someone's shoulder
To tell someone your problems in order to gain sympathy or comfort.
Whenever she's upset, she cries on her best friend's shoulder.
Cry one's eyes out
To weep uncontrollably.
She cried her eyes out after watching the sad film.
Cry of joy
To shed tears because of happiness.
He let out a cry of joy when he found his lost dog.
Cry for the moon
To yearn for the unattainable.
Wishing for a perfect solution is like crying for the moon.
Cry it out
To allow oneself to cry until feeling better.
Sometimes, you just need to cry it out and then move on.
Cry oneself to sleep
To weep until falling asleep.
Overwhelmed by the day, she cried herself to sleep.
Cry in the wilderness
To express an unpopular or unheeded opinion.
His warnings about the environment were like a cry in the wilderness.
Cry Example Sentences
Every morning, he would cry the latest headlines.
Children often cry out in their sleep during bad dreams.
The crowd's cry for peace was heard throughout the city.
When she read the letter, she began to cry softly.
After the movie, they found themselves crying over the character's fate.
At night, you can hear the owls cry in the forest.
The activists cry for change in environmental policies.
Unable to bear the pain, she let out a loud cry.
The baby's cry woke everyone in the house.
Common Curiosities
How is cry used in a sentence?
"Cry" is used to describe the act of shedding tears or making a loud demand, e.g., Don't be afraid to cry when you're upset.
Why is it called cry?
"Cry" comes from the Old English "crian," which means to beg, demand, or lament, reflecting its use to express strong emotions or needs.
What is a stressed syllable in cry?
The entire word "cry" is stressed, as it consists of only one syllable.
How do we divide cry into syllables?
As a single-syllable word, "cry" is not divided.
What is the root word of cry?
The root word of "cry" is the Old English "crian," meaning to demand or lament.
How many syllables are in cry?
Cry has one syllable.
What is the pronunciation of cry?
Cry is pronounced as /kraɪ/.
What is the first form of cry?
The first (base) form of the word is "cry."
What is the third form of cry?
The third form (past participle) of "cry" is also "cried."
What is the verb form of cry?
"Cry" itself is the base form of the verb.
What is the singular form of cry?
The singular form is "cry."
Is cry a countable noun?
When used as a noun, "cry" is countable, as in "the cries of the wolves."
Is cry a collective noun?
No, "cry" is not typically used as a collective noun.
Is the word cry imperative?
"Cry" can be used in the imperative mood, as in "Cry out if you need assistance."
Which vowel is used before cry?
The vowel used before "cry" depends on the preceding word or article, often "a" or "the."
What is the plural form of cry?
As a verb, "cry" does not have a plural form. Its conjugation changes with the subject.
Is cry an abstract noun?
When used as a noun, "cry" can be considered an abstract noun as it refers to the act or sound of crying, which is an intangible concept.
Is the cry term a metaphor?
"Cry" can be used metaphorically in phrases like "a cry for help," indicating a desperate need or request.
What is the second form of cry?
The second form (past tense) of "cry" is "cried."
What is another term for cry?
Another term for "cry" could be "weep" or "sob."
Is the word “cry” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
"Cry" can serve as a direct object, as in "I heard a cry," or it can be used without an object, as in "She started to cry."
Which preposition is used with cry?
Prepositions like "for" or "about" can be used with "cry," as in "cry for help" or "cry about something sad."
What is the opposite of cry?
The opposite of "cry" (in the sense of weeping) could be "laugh" or "smile."
Is cry a noun or adjective?
"Cry" is primarily a verb, but it can also function as a noun, as in "a cry for help."
Is cry a negative or positive word?
"Cry" is generally considered a negative word as it often relates to expressions of sadness or distress, but it can have positive connotations in contexts like "a cry of joy."
Is cry a vowel or consonant?
The word "cry" starts with a consonant sound.
Which conjunction is used with cry?
Conjunctions like "and" or "but" can be used in sentences involving "cry," e.g., "She wanted to laugh but ended up crying."
What part of speech is cry?
"Cry" is a verb.
Is cry an adverb?
No, "cry" is not an adverb.
Is the word cry Gerund?
The gerund form of "cry" is "crying."
Which determiner is used with cry?
Determiners such as "a" or "the" can be used with "cry" when it functions as a noun, e.g., "a cry of despair."
Which article is used with cry?
Both "a" and "the" can be used with "cry" when it is a noun, e.g., "a cry in the night" or "the cry of the peacock."
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
