noun
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a widespread or vehement protest
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clamour; uproar
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commerce a method of trading in which dealers shout out bids and offers at a prearranged meeting
sale by open outcry
verb
Etymology
Origin of outcry
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at out-, cry
Explanation
An outcry is an outburst or shout — either by one person, or by a group of people. Faced with the outcry of three kids under the age of ten, a frustrated babysitter may give in, letting them stay up past bedtime. When a teacher promises his class a pizza party at the end of the week, he can expect an outcry if the pizzas don't show up on Friday. This kind of outcry is a form of protest, a group of angry or passionate people raising their voices together. The older, fourteenth century meaning of outcry is simply "crying out." The "public protest" meaning was first used around 1910.
Vocabulary lists containing outcry
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By the Great Horn Spoon!
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"Don't ban peanuts at school"
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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.
Its introduction provoked an outcry among users who felt their privacy had been violated but sent engagement soaring.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026
On Wednesday, Ben Gvir sparked an outcry internationally but also within his own government by publishing a video of dozens of activists kneeling with their foreheads on the ground and their hands tied.
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
Full-price bus tickets from Grand Central Terminal or the Port Authority bus terminal in New York to MetLife Stadium were recently reduced to $20 from $80 after fan outcry over the inflated prices.
From MarketWatch • May 21, 2026
Although none of this legislation made it out of committee, many of the bills required a national outcry, a coordinated organizing effort, and hours of testimony and lobbying to ensure they didn’t move forward.
From Slate • May 5, 2026
When it was announced that John Glenn would return to space as a payload specialist in 1998, an outcry arose.
From "Women in Space" by Karen Bush Gibson
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.
