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.
"My children went to bed hungry three nights in a row. My wife was crying, so were my children. So I begged a neighbour for some money to buy flour," he says.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
A television journalist was seen crying as she reported live from inside the building, while another senator, Robin Padilla, urged reporters to evacuate.
From Barron's • May 13, 2026
Maslany: Yeah, you’re like, “I thought she’d be crying as she said it.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026
“I hate you,” he says, crying, as I lead him down the hallway.
From Slate • May 10, 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.
