cry for

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.

Example Sentences

Witnesses had called 999 after hearing cries for help but when police carried out door-to-door inquiries they were unable to trace where the pleas were coming from.

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"I must have cried for three hours. Then the kids got home from school and I showed my daughter the BBC story and she burst into tears."

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“The fire came from the mountain. Burnt our forest. My people cried for help but Eywa did not come.”

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"It was like I was hollow inside. It wasn't until my mum cooked me dinner that night that it really hit me, and I cried for the first time."

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Online ravings about “tiger blood” and “winning!” earned him a Live Nation tour with a cry for help as its title: “My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is Not An Option.”

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Related Words

• ask 
• beseech 
• recite 
• urge