crying

[ krahy-ing ]

/ ˈkraɪ ɪŋ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR crying ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

demanding attention or remedy; critical; severe: a crying evil.

reprehensible; odious; notorious: a crying shame.

Nearby words

Origin of crying

First recorded in 1300–50, crying is from the Middle English word cryenge. See cry, -ing²

Related formscry·ing·ly, adverbun·cry·ing, adjective

Definition for crying (2 of 2)

cry

[ krahy ]

/ kraɪ /

verb (used without object), cried, cry·ing.

to utter inarticulate sounds, especially of lamentation, grief, or suffering, usually with tears.

to weep; shed tears, with or without sound.

to call loudly; shout; yell (sometimes followed by out).

to demand resolution or strongly indicate a particular disposition: The rise in crime cried out for greater police protection.

to give forth vocal sounds or characteristic calls, as animals; yelp; bark.

(of a hound or pack) to bay continuously and excitedly in following a scent.

(of tin) to make a noise, when bent, like the crumpling of paper.

verb (used with object), cried, cry·ing.

to utter or pronounce loudly; call out.

to announce publicly as for sale; advertise: to cry one's wares.

to beg or plead for; implore: to cry mercy.

to bring (oneself) to a specified state by weeping: The infant cried itself to sleep.

noun, plural cries.

the act or sound of crying; any loud utterance or exclamation; a shout, scream, or wail.

clamor; outcry.

a fit of weeping: to have a good cry.

the utterance or call of an animal.

a political or party slogan.

battle cry.

an oral proclamation or announcement.

a call of wares for sale, services available, etc., as by a street vendor.

public report.

an opinion generally expressed.

an entreaty; appeal.

Fox Hunting.

a pack of hounds.
a continuous baying of a hound or a pack in following a scent.

Verb Phrases

cry down, to disparage; belittle: Those people cry down everyone who differs from them.

cry off, to break a promise, agreement, etc.: We made arrangements to purchase a house, but the owner cried off at the last minute.

cry up, to praise; extol: to cry up one's profession.

Origin of cry

1175–1225; (v.) Middle English crien < Anglo-French, Old French crier < Vulgar Latin *crītāre for Latin quirītāre to cry out in protest, make a public cry; associated by folk etymology with Quirītēs Quirites; (noun) < Anglo-French, Old French cri, noun derivative of the v.

SYNONYMS FOR cry

1 wail, keen, moan.

2 sob, bawl, whimper.

3 yowl, bawl, clamor, vociferate, exclaim, ejaculate, scream.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR cry ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formscoun·ter·cry, noun, plural coun·ter·cries.

Synonym study

3. Cry, shout, bellow, roar refer to kinds of loud articulate or inarticulate sounds. Cry is the general word: to cry out. To shout is to raise the voice loudly in uttering words or other articulate sounds: He shouted to his companions. Bellow refers to the loud, deep cry of a bull, moose, etc., or, somewhat in deprecation, to human utterance that suggests such a sound: The speaker bellowed his answer. Roar refers to a deep, hoarse, rumbling or vibrant cry, often of tumultuous volume: The crowd roared approval.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for crying

This is a guy who has his son-in-law clean his eyeglasses, for crying out loud.
Will Chris Christie Regret His Cowboy Hug?|Matt Lewis|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The “crying” incident is thought to have hurt Muskie in the primary--which he won handily, but with under 50 percent of the vote.
The World’s Toughest Political Quiz|Jeff Greenfield|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Teachers are told never to put an arm around a crying child.
Red Tape Is Strangling Good Samaritans|Philip K. Howard|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After my crying spell stopped, I gritted my teeth, tucked my crutch under my right arm, and turned to my husband.
You’re Never ‘Cured’ of an Eating Disorder|Carrie Arnold|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Suddenly, you are crying, breathless, raging, and on quieter days just going through the motions.
Grief: The Real Monster in The Babadook|Tim Teeman|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Many women and children were crying because they had been separated from relatives and friends.
Current History: A Monthly Magazine of the New York Times, May 1918|Various
Then he saw that she was crying in the bitterness of vexation, and swung round on his music-stool without getting up.
The Nebuly Coat|John Meade Falkner
She sank into an armchair sobbing and crying, and covered her face with her hands.
The Lady of Lynn|Walter Besant
What he would have added we couldn't tell, but suddenly he darted off, crying out, 'What for you kick my?'
The 'Fan Kwae' at Canton Before Treaty Days 1825-1844|William C. Hunter
Then a strange sound was heard in their lonely little lodge—the crying of a child.
The Myths of the North American Indians|Lewis Spence

British Dictionary definitions for crying (1 of 2)

crying

/ (ˈkraɪɪŋ) /

adjective

(prenominal) notorious; lamentable (esp in the phrase crying shame)

British Dictionary definitions for crying (2 of 2)

cry

/ (kraɪ) /

verb cries, crying or cried

(intr) to utter inarticulate sounds, esp when weeping; sob

(intr) to shed tears; weep

(intr usually foll by out) to scream or shout in pain, terror, etc

(tr often foll by out) to utter or shout (words of appeal, exclamation, fear, etc)

(intr often foll by out) (of animals, birds, etc) to utter loud characteristic sounds

(tr) to hawk or sell by public announcementto cry newspapers

to announce (something) publicly or in the streets

(intr foll by for) to clamour or beg

Scot to call

cry for the moon to desire the unattainable

cry one's eyes out or cry one's heart out to weep bitterly

cry quits or cry mercy to give up a task, fight, etc

noun plural cries

the act or sound of crying; a shout, exclamation, scream, or wail

the characteristic utterance of an animal or birdthe cry of gulls

Scot a call

archaic an oral announcement, esp one made by town criers

a fit of weeping

hunting the baying of a pack of hounds hunting their quarry by scent

a pack of hounds

a far cry

a long way
something very different

in full cry (esp of a pack of hounds) in hot pursuit of a quarry

See also cry down, cry off, cry out, cry up

Word Origin for cry

C13: from Old French crier, from Latin quirītāre to call for help

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

Word Origin and History for crying (1 of 2)

cry

early 13c., "beg, implore," from Old French crier, from Vulgar Latin *critare, from Latin quiritare "to wail, shriek" (source of Italian gridare, Old Spanish cridar, Spanish and Portuguese gritar), of uncertain origin; perhaps a variant of quirritare "to squeal like a pig," from *quis, echoic of squealing, despite ancient folk etymology that traces it to "call for the help of the Quirites," the Roman constabulary. The meaning was extended 13c. to weep, which it largely replaced by 16c. Related: Cried; crying.

Most languages, in common with English, use the general word for "cry out, shout, wail" to also mean "weep, shed tears to express pain or grief." Romance and Slavic, however, use words for this whose ultimate meaning is "beat (the breast)," cf. French pleurer, Spanish llorar, both from Latin plorare "cry aloud," but probably originally plodere "beat, clap the hands." Also Italian piangere (cognate with French plaindre "lament, pity") from Latin plangere, originally "beat," but especially of the breast, as a sign of grief. U.S. colloquial for crying out loud is 1924, probably another euphemism for for Christ's sake.

Word Origin and History for crying (1 of 2)

cry

late 13c., from cry (v.).

crying

adjective

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RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of crying

Definition for crying (2 of 2)

cry

verb (used without object), cried, cry·ing.

verb (used with object), cried, cry·ing.

noun, plural cries.

Verb Phrases

Origin of cry

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for crying

British Dictionary definitions for crying (1 of 2)

crying

adjective

British Dictionary definitions for crying (2 of 2)

cry

verb cries, crying or cried

noun plural cries

Word Origin for cry

Word Origin and History for crying (1 of 2)

cry

Word Origin and History for crying (1 of 2)

cry