- present participle of cry.
crying
Americanadjective
-
demanding attention or remedy; critical; severe.
a crying evil.
-
reprehensible; odious; notorious.
a crying shame.
adjective
Other Word 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.
That left Raman uttering loopy word salads when she wasn’t crying conspiracy between the two.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
I rarely find myself both crying with laughter and crying through my laughter in the span of the same film.
From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2026
"I'm here because I believe in democracy. Because I'm scared," said Alice Carneiro, 25, an administrator in maritime shipping, crying as she expressed fears about a possible backlash against her wife, who is trans.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
The Cleveland Browns are 3-1, for crying out loud.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
Something knocked the underside of the raft, throwing it off-kilter, and Clare dropped to all fours, crying out for Gingersnipes as she tumbled around but managed to stay aboard.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
