cry for

Idioms  

1. Also, cry out for; have a crying need for. Be in urgent need of, as in This wall cries for a second coat of paint, or This car is crying out for a good washing, or There is a crying need for order in this house. The figurative use of cry for, literally meaning “implore” or “weep for,” dates from the late 1500s, as does the use of crying for “demanding attention.” The first variant, alluding to actually shouting out one's needs or desires, dates from the second half of the 1800s.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cry for

Scaloni, 48, may be out of a job when his contract expires in December, but his message for the fans was don’t cry for me, Argentina.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

On Sunday, they pleaded with passersby and motorcyclists to keep quiet as they tried to listen for any sound of life—a cry for help, a cough or heavy breathing—from people under the rubble.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

It became a rallying cry for activists over the following seven years, culminating in a movement in June 1987 that toppled Chun's regime.

From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026

In the years since, Corado’s name has become a rallying cry for the local movement against police brutality.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026

“And to answer your question . .. you are far less likely to soil your pants and cry for your mother if you’re prepared to defend yourself.”

From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth

Related Words

• ask
• beseech
• recite
• urge