cry
to utter inarticulate sounds, especially of lamentation, grief, or suffering, usually with tears.
to weep; shed tears, with or without sound.
to call loudly; shout; yell (sometimes followed by out).
to demand resolution or strongly indicate a particular disposition: The rise in crime cried out for greater police protection.
(of a hound or pack) to bay continuously and excitedly in following a scent.
(of tin) to make a noise, when bent, like the crumpling of paper.
to utter or pronounce loudly; call out.
to announce publicly as for sale; advertise: to cry one's wares.
to beg or plead for; implore: to cry mercy.
to bring (oneself) to a specified state by weeping: The infant cried itself to sleep.
the act or sound of crying; any loud utterance or exclamation; a shout, scream, or wail.
a fit of weeping: to have a good cry.
the utterance or call of an animal.
a political or party slogan.
an oral proclamation or announcement.
a call of wares for sale, services available, etc., as by a street vendor.
public report.
an opinion generally expressed.
Fox Hunting.
a pack of hounds.
a continuous baying of a hound or a pack in following a scent.
Idioms about cry
a far cry,
quite some distance; a long way.
only remotely related; very different: This treatment is a far cry from that which we received before.
cry havoc. havoc (def. 4).
cry one's eyes / heart out, to cry excessively or inconsolably: The little girl cried her eyes out when her cat died.
cry over spilled / spilt milk. milk (def. 12).
in full cry, in hot pursuit: The pack followed in full cry.
Origin of cry
1synonym study For cry
Other words for cry
Other words from cry
- coun·ter·cry, noun, plural coun·ter·cries.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use cry in a sentence
My person (which, by-the-bye, I took as much pains to cultivate as my mind) now began to be cried up as much as my parts.
Rowlandson's Oxford | A. Hamilton GibbsPrudy groaned for sympathy, and wiped her eyes on that corner of her handkerchief which was supposed to be not quite "cried up."
Little Prudy's Sister Susy | Sophie MayThus many of the elder time cried up Guittone, giving him the prize, till truth By strength of numbers vanquish'd.
The Vision of Purgatory, Complete | Dante AlighieriThe Duke of York, who was for some time cried up as the prodigy of the family, is as profligate and of less understanding.
Dogvane declared he did not want anything; but Jonathan still cried up his wares.
The Life of a Celebrated Buccaneer | Richard Clynton
British Dictionary definitions for cry
/ (kraɪ) /
(intr) to utter inarticulate sounds, esp when weeping; sob
(intr) to shed tears; weep
(intr usually foll by out) to scream or shout in pain, terror, etc
(tr often foll by out) to utter or shout (words of appeal, exclamation, fear, etc)
(intr often foll by out) (of animals, birds, etc) to utter loud characteristic sounds
(tr) to hawk or sell by public announcement: to cry newspapers
to announce (something) publicly or in the streets
(intr foll by for) to clamour or beg
Scot to call
cry for the moon to desire the unattainable
cry one's eyes out or cry one's heart out to weep bitterly
cry quits or cry mercy to give up a task, fight, etc
the act or sound of crying; a shout, exclamation, scream, or wail
the characteristic utterance of an animal or bird: the cry of gulls
Scot a call
archaic an oral announcement, esp one made by town criers
a fit of weeping
hunting the baying of a pack of hounds hunting their quarry by scent
a pack of hounds
a far cry
a long way
something very different
in full cry (esp of a pack of hounds) in hot pursuit of a quarry
Origin of cry
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Browse