- 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.
“This destruction comes on top of everything else — the low salaries, the inflation, the loss of opportunities ... What can we do? Keep on crying? We cannot even cry with so much pain.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
It was a feast day and everyone was celebrating, but M's daughter stayed in her room crying.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
The woman got off at the next stop, upset and crying.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
For a Rangers side crying out for attacking guile and inventiveness on the flanks, Curtis being limited to just eight minutes in their Premiership opener against United was surprising.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
The way she’d called it an infestation, how she’d leaned up against the glass caps and clomped through his crying kits.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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.
