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

This is re-emerging as a rallying cry for foreign leaders such as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz annoyed that their countries are buying so many imports from China.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

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

From BBC ● May 19, 2026

Not especially popular in life, he appears to have become, in death, a rallying cry for defiance.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 3, 2026

“Learn a Trade” isn’t just a rallying cry for younger generations to skip college and pursue in-demand blue-collar work.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 7, 2026

I cry for Mirren, who wanted to see the Congo.

From "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart

Related Words

• ask
• beseech
• recite
• urge