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

She started crying midway through the voice message.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

“This time, I wasn’t 17 years old, going through my first heartbreak, crying at the piano and a song just flies out. I had to sharpen my songwriting skills and my singing skills,” Rodrigo said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

At times, he had to hide that he was crying on the golf course.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

"We have two-year-old children scared and crying and going through this," local resident Gaia Khouiri told AFP.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

Every day now I would see them in their hundreds, outside the soup kitchens, lining up in the snow, or huddled together against the cold in doorways, the children crying.

From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo