crying

[krahy-ing]

adjective

1. demanding attention or remedy; critical; severe.

   a crying evil.

2. reprehensible; odious; notorious.

   a crying shame.

crying

/ ˈkraɪɪŋ /

adjective

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

Other Word Forms

• cryingly adverb
• uncrying adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of crying¹

First recorded in 1300–50, crying is from the Middle English word cryenge. See cry, -ing ²

Example Sentences

“I collapsed. I just started crying. It was the best news I ever heard,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

“That’s what was so great about that show — it could straddle those two worlds. And to me, that’s life. You can be laughing and crying within a minute.”

From Los Angeles Times

"I stood in waist-deep water, crying," Ms Jidda said as she recounted the life-changing moment water rushed into her compound, before it overwhelmed her house.

From BBC

“I’ve been crying all day — it’s just this bad dream that’s not ending,” she tells him in one scene after his White House visit.

From Los Angeles Times

Ms Lee's mother allegedly recalled her crying on the phone saying she would die if Mr Jo died.

From BBC