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
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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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.
No doubt these employees believed they were doing useful work, but there has been little to no outcry about a decline in services.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
The city initially removed the markings, citing accessibility requirements, before later reversing course and installing permanent crosswalks following public outcry.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
A plan to build housing for 1,200 foreign workers that was approved last autumn sparked outcry among locals.
From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026
Heights Public Schools Superintendent Zena Stenvik accused ICE officers of using Liam as “bait,” sparking a major public outcry.
From Salon • Mar. 19, 2026
So she walked into the kitchen alone and without forewarning to find out what was causing her husband’s outcry.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
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.
