- present participle of cry.
crying
Americanadjective
-
demanding attention or remedy; critical; severe.
a crying evil.
-
reprehensible; odious; notorious.
a crying shame.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of crying
First recorded in 1300–50, crying is from the Middle English word cryenge. See cry, -ing 2
Vocabulary lists containing crying
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“That’s when it hit me, and I started crying and screaming. I’m never going to see my brother again,” Collins recalled.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
French motorists are clogging TotalEnergies service stations to fill up with discount gasoline but its rivals are crying foul, accusing the energy giant of distorting competition with the encouragement of the government.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
James texted at one point: “Sir I’m not going to lie he started crying after I told him how much you spent for him to go to this rehab.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
Radiotherapy is another bottleneck crying out for staff and kit.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
I could hear Patch crying for me a little longer.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
