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cri de coeur

American  
[kreeduh-kœr, kree duh kur] / kridəˈkœr, ˈkri də ˈkɜr /

noun

French.
cris de coeur plural
  1. an anguished cry of distress or indignation; outcry.


cri de coeur British  
/ ˌkriː də ˈkɜː /

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of cri de coeur

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

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.

As the Pratt and Bass characters duel with light-sabers, the video closes with a cri de coeur: “L.A. is worth saving.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026

A cri de coeur then, from beyond the grave.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2025

Supreme Court as a kind of cri de coeur, asking, Can we please talk about the death penalty?

From Slate • Oct. 16, 2024

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

From BBC • Aug. 18, 2023

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

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

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