cry

1 of 2

verb

cried; crying

transitive verb

1
: to utter loudly : shout
He cried "Wait!" but it was too late.
2
archaic : beg, beseech
3
: to proclaim publicly : advertise
cry their wares

intransitive verb

1
: to call loudly : shout
She cried out for help.
2
: to shed tears often noisily : weep, sob
The child began to cry after she dropped her ice-cream cone.
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

cry

2 of 2

noun

plural cries
1
: an instance of crying: such as
a
: an inarticulate utterance of distress, rage, or pain
b
obsolete : outcry, clamor
2
a
obsolete : proclamation
b
cries plural, Scotland : banns
3
: entreaty, appeal
a cry for help
4
: a loud shout
5
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
Phrases
cry havoc
: to sound an alarm
cry over spilled milk
: to express vain regrets for what cannot be recovered or undone
You made a mistake, but there's no use crying over spilled milk.
cry wolf
: to give alarm unnecessarily
News organizations have been warned not to cry wolf.

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
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Dern, too, cites Bridesmaids as an example of Wiig’s skill, but using a dramatic scene, one where Annie is crying alone on her sofa after having alienated her friends. Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024 Ryan’s mother sat nearby on a trailer parked in the driveway crying and watching as deputies tended to the boy’s wounds and performed CPR. Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 According to the Humane Society of the United States, some signs that an animal may need help include shivering, an obvious injury like a broken limb, or if it has been seen crying or wandering. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 13 Mar. 2024 Rachel cried in his arms before Joey invited her to spend the night with him in the Fantasy Suite. Dana Rose Falcone, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2024 After all, The Notebook is hardly the first or the last production destined to make people cry. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 11 Mar. 2024 After months of crying and grieving alongside Monica, Fabio's family couldn't believe it either. Michelle Miller, CBS News, 9 Mar. 2024 Your husband should remember the tale of the boy who cried wolf, which is about a boy who kept yelling about how the famous American author Thomas Wolfe was back in town. John Hodgman, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024 Hamouda’s youngest child, Kareem, 2, is too young to understand, but his eldest children, Ella, 6, and Sila, 4, were devastated by the loss and would not stop crying. Sana Noor Haq, CNN, 2 Mar. 2024
Noun
But in the early hours of Feb. 1, 2018, their daughter entered the world with a powerful cry and a full head of jet-black hair. Megan Molteni, STAT, 21 Feb. 2024 That’s the rallying cry of opponents of a new $60 billion tranche of aid for Ukraine, led by Ohio’s Republican senator, J. D. Vance. Rich Lowry, National Review, 20 Feb. 2024 Keeler: Joel Embiid made a kid cry and lost NBA MVP case to Nuggets star Nikola Jokic in one sad, sorry afternoon Grading The Week: Todd Helton got his Hall of Fame nod. Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 3 Feb. 2024 The loudest cries came from the defendant herself as Jennifer Crumbley struggled to contain herself, sobbing while holding her face in her hands. Gina Kaufman, Detroit Free Press, 23 Feb. 2024 By Amanda Mull Last week, as American sports fans’ eyes moved from football to baseball, a great cry—or at least a significant grumble—was heard from MLB players arriving at spring training: The new uniforms are bad. Amanda Mull, The Atlantic, 20 Feb. 2024 An unofficial coalition of civil rights, political and advocacy groups are launching a multifaceted counter to the growing cries to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion efforts stoked by billionaires like Elon Musk and Bill Ackman, among others. Curtis Bunn, NBC News, 8 Feb. 2024 The destruction of the statue led to a rallying cry that was united and loud. Jackie Robinson, USA TODAY, 3 Feb. 2024 Friedel is at the center of the exterminating European Jews, and his family tries to ignore the sounds of screams, cries, gunshots, and atrocities taking place on the other side of the wall. Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024

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

Dictionary Entries Near cry

Cite this Entry

“Cry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cry. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cry

1 of 2 verb
cried; crying
1
: to call loudly : shout
2
: to shed tears often noisily : weep, bawl
3
: to utter a special sound or call
4
: to make known to the public
5
: to suggest strongly a need
the situation cries out for action

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

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