crying
Americanadjective
-
demanding attention or remedy; critical; severe.
a crying evil.
-
reprehensible; odious; notorious.
a crying shame.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of crying
First recorded in 1300–50, crying is from the Middle English word cryenge. See cry, -ing 2
Vocabulary lists containing crying
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A wall text identifies these contrasting expressive efforts, which are connected to the dancer’s breath, as echoing the “psychological rhythms of crying and laughing.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
"I see the photos and feel like crying."
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
Both Jesse and Ashley were emotionally distraught and crying throughout the video.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
On the line was someone sounding like her son Fred, crying for help.
From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026
Every day now I would see them in their hundreds, outside the soup kitchens, lining up in the snow, or huddled together against the cold in doorways, the children crying.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
