noun
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a widespread or vehement protest
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clamour; uproar
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commerce a method of trading in which dealers shout out bids and offers at a prearranged meeting
sale by open outcry
verb
Etymology
Origin of outcry
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at out-, cry
Explanation
An outcry is an outburst or shout — either by one person, or by a group of people. Faced with the outcry of three kids under the age of ten, a frustrated babysitter may give in, letting them stay up past bedtime. When a teacher promises his class a pizza party at the end of the week, he can expect an outcry if the pizzas don't show up on Friday. This kind of outcry is a form of protest, a group of angry or passionate people raising their voices together. The older, fourteenth century meaning of outcry is simply "crying out." The "public protest" meaning was first used around 1910.
Vocabulary lists containing outcry
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By the Great Horn Spoon!
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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.
Outcry from users caused a quick walk back from the company, which noted that “deviations”—creations shared to DeviantArt—would now be “automatically labeled as NOT authorized for use in A.I. datasets.”
From Slate • May 16, 2024
Outcry over the expulsions has increased since June 1, ratcheting up pressure on legislators to act this week, the last days of their session.
From New York Times • Jun. 20, 2023
“We’re sending a message to the banks that their security measures won’t stop the depositors, because these depositors are all struggling,” Depositors’ Outcry media coordinator Moussa Agassi told the AP.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 4, 2022
Ibrahim Abdallah of Depositors' Outcry, an advocacy group for Lebanese with frozen savings, said people were at breaking point.
From BBC • Sep. 14, 2022
"The Outcry" had not appeared on the stage, but was shortly to be published in the form of a narrative.
From The Letters of Henry James, Vol. II by James, Henry
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.
