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

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

"As soon as the water hit her body she was crying out in pain and discomfort so we brought her down and let her sleep on the sofa," Emma said.

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

Paul’s daughter was on the couch at the time of the altercation, and toward the end of the video, she is heard crying while Mortensen says, “Stop throwing stuff and help your daughter.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

The crying kits would have worked better for an itch, but Clare didn’t bother saying it.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman