crying

[ krahy-ing ]

adjective

1. demanding attention or remedy; critical; severe:

   a crying evil.

2. reprehensible; odious; notorious:

   a crying shame.

crying

/ ˈkraɪɪŋ /

adjective

1. prenominal notorious; lamentable (esp in the phrase crying shame )

Other Words From

• crying·ly adverb
• un·crying adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of crying¹

First recorded in 1300–50, crying is from the Middle English word cryenge. See cry, -ing ²

Example Sentences

The crying came when the 17-year-old was trying to make sense, on her own, of the complex form required to apply for the financial aid she needed as the first in her low-income family to go to college.

From Washington Post

Today I rally but do not have the energy to both skin and keep my crying in check.

From Washington Post

Their coughs echoed through the dorm at night, mixed, some remembered, with the quieter sounds of crying.

From Washington Post

The forest was dense here, the trail overgrown, and you were about to reach reflexively for the phone you didn’t have, to shed some light on the path, when you first heard the crying.

From MIT Technology Review

This year’s pandemic means there is no crying—or spitting—in baseball.

From Time

This is a guy who has his son-in-law clean his eyeglasses, for crying out loud.

From The Daily Beast

The “crying” incident is thought to have hurt Muskie in the primary--which he won handily, but with under 50 percent of the vote.

From The Daily Beast

Teachers are told never to put an arm around a crying child.

From The Daily Beast

After my crying spell stopped, I gritted my teeth, tucked my crutch under my right arm, and turned to my husband.

From The Daily Beast

Suddenly, you are crying, breathless, raging, and on quieter days just going through the motions.

From The Daily Beast

The wretched young man persistently exercises his right of crying "Banco," and so practically going double or quits each time.

From Project Gutenberg

They were standing over the cots in the nursery late at night, and I think that Mamma was crying softly.

From Project Gutenberg

The atmosphere seemed drawn taut before him as though it must any instant split open upon a sound of crying.

From Project Gutenberg

His duty it was to stand at the head of the scalding trough, watch in hand, to "time" the length of the scald, crying "Hog in!"

From Project Gutenberg

I noticed that you had set her crying again, Lucy, for about the tenth time to-day.

From Project Gutenberg