crying

American  

[krahy-ing] / ˈkraɪ ɪŋ /

adjective

1. demanding attention or remedy; critical; severe.

   a crying evil.

2. reprehensible; odious; notorious.

   a crying shame.

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crying British  

/ ˈkraɪɪŋ /

adjective

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

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Other Word Forms

• cryingly adverb
• uncrying adjective

Etymology

Origin of crying

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

Example Sentences

At other moments, he couldn’t stop himself from crying and would dash into the bathroom to hide it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

Powered by singles like Escapism and Oscar Winning Tears, it won a record-breaking six Brit Awards, including album of the year, which resulted in Raye "ugly crying on national television".

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

"We're not sitting around crying about it; we're ramping up our investments," Bertinelli said.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

“We need to have no reaction to the jury’s verdict — no crying out, no reactions, no disturbance,” Kuhl warned.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

Mrs. Garner, who was so quiet and so shy but always had a kind word for him when she found him crying.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova