cried; crying
1
: to utter loudly : shout
He cried "Wait!" but it was too late.
3
: to proclaim publicly : advertise
cry their wares
1
: to call loudly : shout
She cried out for help.
2
3
: to utter a characteristic sound or call
heard the seagulls crying
4
: to require or suggest strongly a remedy or disposition (see disposition sense 2b)
… there are a hundred things which cry out for planning …—
Roger Burlingame
Roger Burlingame
plural cries
1
2
a
obsolete
: proclamation
b
4
: a loud shout
6
a
: common report
b
: a general opinion
7
: the public voice raised in protest or approval
8
: a fit of weeping
9
: the characteristic sound or call of an animal
10
a
: a pack of hounds
b(1)
: pursuit
—used in the phrase in full cry
hounds in full cry
(2)
: a peak of activity or excitement
—used in the phrase in full cry
a campaign in full cry
Synonyms
Examples of cry in a Sentence
Verb
The baby is crying. Is she okay?
Some people cry more easily than others.
He cried silently while the song played.
She cried all the way home from school that day.
She couldn't imagine why anyone would cry over a stupid movie.
She was crying with relief.
They cried tears of joy.
“Help,” he cried, “Get a doctor! Quick!”
I heard someone cry “Wait!” but the train pulled away anyway.
She'd never heard the sound of sea gulls crying by the shore.
Noun
The baby's cry woke me out of a deep sleep.
There was a cry of “Fire” and we all rushed for the exits.
The children were playing a game and their happy cries echoed through the house.
the wild cry of a coyote
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Recent Examples on the WebAngel Saunders, Peoplemag, 14 Sep. 2023
One day, Young was hanging out in the hallway, when a math teacher called her over and asked her to comfort the new student crying in the bathroom.
—Aliyya Swaby, ProPublica, 14 Sep. 2023
Our baby cried, so the Germans shot it in the head.
—Carolyn Hagler, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Sep. 2023
That said, the scenes of families crying and little ones looking terrified and sad at the train station get a bit repetitive.
—Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Sep. 2023
Her mother and father cried and hugged, while their relatives tried to support them.
—Stuart Ramsay, NBC News, 11 Sep. 2023
Three-year-old Janette, her face covered in scratches, hadn’t stopped crying in the two nights since her house was destroyed, her father, Hassem Lassoum, said.
—Sima Diab, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2023
Joyce, whose 9-year-old daughter was in a classroom during the March mass shooting and lost three of her classmates, began crying.
—Angele Latham, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2023
On the sidelines, mothers who had lost children cried and prayed, holding hands and hugging one another.
—Alaina Bookman | Abookman@al.com, al, 1 Sep. 2023
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2023
Neighbors heard the cries, tongues started wagging and someone placed the 911 call that fetched firefighters from both Paulding and Cobb counties.
—Alexis Stevens, ajc, 13 Sep. 2023
Last week in Tennessee, legislators ended their legislative session without passing a single common sense gun measure, despite resounding cries from parents enraged over the latest school shooting.
—Sabrina Haake, Chicago Tribune, 9 Sep. 2023
The slew of federal and state proposals has served as a rallying cry to a cohort of activists looking to shape laws that may transform how their generation interacts with technology.
—Cristiano Lima, Washington Post, 5 Sep. 2023
Moments before, she was restrained and her cries of pain were ignored.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2023
Chappelle’s commentary drew fierce criticism, including a walkout by some Netflix employees, and a Chappelle show at First Avenue in Minneapolis last summer was canceled following cries from critics that Chappelle’s comedy was transphobic and harmful.
—Journal Sentinel, 30 Aug. 2023
What a listener hears are syllabic cries and whispers, as well as groans and shrieks, enhanced with further discordance from a varying set of instruments.
—Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 31 Aug. 2023
What started as a joke has turned into a rallying cry of sorts for Real Salt Lake in the U.S. Open Cup.
—Austin Curtright, The Salt Lake Tribune, 23 Aug. 2023
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Verb
The clip cuts to a compilation of videos showing others who signed up to be Naked and Afraid using their wit to survive the elements, from a woman chopping at a tree and a man attempting to fish to another participant crying.
—Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 14 Sep. 2023
One day, Young was hanging out in the hallway, when a math teacher called her over and asked her to comfort the new student crying in the bathroom.
—Aliyya Swaby, ProPublica, 14 Sep. 2023
Our baby cried, so the Germans shot it in the head.
—Carolyn Hagler, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Sep. 2023
That said, the scenes of families crying and little ones looking terrified and sad at the train station get a bit repetitive.
—Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Sep. 2023
Her mother and father cried and hugged, while their relatives tried to support them.
—Stuart Ramsay, NBC News, 11 Sep. 2023
Three-year-old Janette, her face covered in scratches, hadn’t stopped crying in the two nights since her house was destroyed, her father, Hassem Lassoum, said.
—Sima Diab, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2023
Joyce, whose 9-year-old daughter was in a classroom during the March mass shooting and lost three of her classmates, began crying.
—Angele Latham, USA TODAY, 1 Sep. 2023
On the sidelines, mothers who had lost children cried and prayed, holding hands and hugging one another.
—Alaina Bookman | Abookman@al.com, al, 1 Sep. 2023
Noun
Roaring Kitty turned GameStop into a rallying cry against a rigged financial system.
—Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2023
Neighbors heard the cries, tongues started wagging and someone placed the 911 call that fetched firefighters from both Paulding and Cobb counties.
—Alexis Stevens, ajc, 13 Sep. 2023
Last week in Tennessee, legislators ended their legislative session without passing a single common sense gun measure, despite resounding cries from parents enraged over the latest school shooting.
—Sabrina Haake, Chicago Tribune, 9 Sep. 2023
The slew of federal and state proposals has served as a rallying cry to a cohort of activists looking to shape laws that may transform how their generation interacts with technology.
—Cristiano Lima, Washington Post, 5 Sep. 2023
Moments before, she was restrained and her cries of pain were ignored.
—Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2023
Chappelle’s commentary drew fierce criticism, including a walkout by some Netflix employees, and a Chappelle show at First Avenue in Minneapolis last summer was canceled following cries from critics that Chappelle’s comedy was transphobic and harmful.
—Journal Sentinel, 30 Aug. 2023
What a listener hears are syllabic cries and whispers, as well as groans and shrieks, enhanced with further discordance from a varying set of instruments.
—Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 31 Aug. 2023
What started as a joke has turned into a rallying cry of sorts for Real Salt Lake in the U.S. Open Cup.
—Austin Curtright, The Salt Lake Tribune, 23 Aug. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cry.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English crien, from Anglo-French crier, from Latin quiritare to make a public outcry, perhaps from Quirit-, Quiris, Roman citizen
Noun
Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French cri, derivative of crier "to cry entry 1"
First Known Use
Verb
13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Noun
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of cry was
in the 13th century
Phrases Containing cry
Dictionary Entries Near cry
Cite this Entry
“Cry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cry. Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
cry
2 of 2 noun
plural cries
1
: a loud call or shout (as of pain, fear, or joy)
2
: appeal entry 1 sense 2, plea
hear my cry
3
: a fit of weeping
had a good cry
4
: the special sound of an animal (as a bird)
5
6
a
: a pack of hounds
b
: pursuit
—used in the phrase in full cry
hounds in full cry
c
: a peak of activity or excitement
—used in the phrase in full cry
a campaign in full cry
More from Merriam-Webster on cry
Nglish: Translation of cry for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of cry for Arabic Speakers
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