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

After so long on the road, driving past despair dotted along the road’s shoulders, Day brushes off a cry for help with a joke.

From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026

"I know what it feels like to cry for help and believe no-one is coming. Today, children still inside that facility know someone is finally coming to protect them."

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

This is not a cry for today, it's a cry that's been heard for years and nothing changes.

From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026

“He would come home and just cry, like, literally cry for hours.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026

Poseidon heard her cry for help, loved her and saved her from the satyr.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

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Related Words

• ask
• beseech
• recite
• urge

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