crying

American

[krahy-ing] / ˈkraɪ ɪŋ /

adjective

demanding attention or remedy; critical; severe.

a crying evil.
reprehensible; odious; notorious.

a crying shame.

crying British

/ ˈkraɪɪŋ /

adjective

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

"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

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

Vocabulary lists containing crying

Spelling Practice 1, Unit 5

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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.

She said: "I didn't tell any of my family until we got home from hospital. I told my sons and they just broke down crying."

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

“I don’t know what I will do,” one woman said in Spanish on Wednesday afternoon, crying.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

She started crying midway through the voice message.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

“And now, not only are we losing our mom, but our dad’s gone,” the sisters said, crying.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

And then I was crying again, and Daddy standing there saying, “It’s all right, Ida B. It’ll be all right,” was only making things worse instead of better.

From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023