cri de coeur

American  

[kreed^uh-kœr, kree duh kur] / kridəˈkœr, ˈkri də ˈkɜr /

noun

French.

plural

cris de coeur

1. an anguished cry of distress or indignation; outcry.

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cri de coeur British  

/ ˌkriː də ˈkɜː /

noun

1. a cry from the heart; heartfelt or sincere appeal

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Etymology

Origin of cri de coeur

First recorded in 1895–1900; literally, “cry of (the) heart”

Example Sentences

And if his epic celebrates a certain type of monarchy and the invariably white races “of the West,” it is also a cri de coeur against authoritarianism, political division and the power of exploited grievance.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2024

The defence argued it was an anguished cri de coeur written by the wrongly accused.

From BBC • Aug. 18, 2023

Set in the hinterlands of Alberta, the movie focuses on several teenagers, both living and dead — a haunting that feels like a generational cri de coeur.

From New York Times • Mar. 29, 2023

It’s no surprise that the show’s theme of embracing new possibilities echoes Blankenbuehler’s own creative cri de coeur.

From Washington Post • Nov. 17, 2022

That very day, he dispatched to Ernest an indignant cri de coeur: Dear Lawrence: What is going on?

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik