Library / English Dictionary

CRY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected forms: cried    , crying    , cryings   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A fit of weeping

Example:

had a good cry

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("cry" is a kind of...):

blowup; ebullition; effusion; gush; outburst (an unrestrained expression of emotion)

Derivation:

cry (shed tears because of sadness, rage, or pain)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A loud utterance; often in protest or opposition

Example:

the speaker was interrupted by loud cries from the rear of the audience

Synonyms:

call; cry; outcry; shout; vociferation; yell

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("cry" is a kind of...):

utterance; vocalization (the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "cry"):

bird; boo; Bronx cheer; hiss; hoot; raspberry; razz; razzing; snort (a cry or noise made to express displeasure or contempt)

yodel (a songlike cry in which the voice fluctuates rapidly between the normal voice and falsetto)

shouting; yelling (uttering a loud inarticulate cry as of pain or excitement)

battle cry; rallying cry; war cry; war whoop (a yell intended to rally a group of soldiers in battle)

whoop (a loud hooting cry of exultation or excitement)

scream; screaming; screech; screeching; shriek; shrieking (sharp piercing cry)

noise (a loud outcry of protest or complaint)

hosanna (a cry of praise or adoration (to God))

hoot (a loud raucous cry (as of an owl))

halloo (a shout to attract attention)

clamor; clamoring; clamour; clamouring; hue and cry (loud and persistent outcry from many people)

catcall (a cry expressing disapproval)

blue murder (an extravagantly loud outcry)

bellow; bellowing; holla; holler; hollering; hollo; holloa; roar; roaring; yowl (a very loud utterance (like the sound of an animal))

Derivation:

cry (utter a sudden loud cry)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A loud utterance of emotion (especially when inarticulate)

Example:

a yell of pain

Synonyms:

cry; yell

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("cry" is a kind of...):

utterance; vocalization (the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "cry"):

complaint ((formerly) a loud cry (or repeated cries) of pain or rage or sorrow)

Derivation:

cry (utter a sudden loud cry)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A slogan used to rally support for a cause

Example:

our watchword will be 'democracy'

Synonyms:

battle cry; cry; rallying cry; war cry; watchword

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("cry" is a kind of...):

catchword; motto; shibboleth; slogan (a favorite saying of a sect or political group)

Sense 5

Meaning:

The characteristic utterance of an animal

Example:

animal cries filled the night

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Hypernyms ("cry" is a kind of...):

sound (the sudden occurrence of an audible event)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "cry"):

crow (the cry of a cock (or an imitation of it))

gobble (the characteristic sound made by a turkey cock)

growl; growling (the sound of growling (as made by animals))

honk (the cry of a goose (or any sound resembling this))

howl (the long plaintive cry of a hound or a wolf)

meow; mew; miaou; miaow; miaul (the sound made by a cat (or any sound resembling this))

moo (the sound made by a cow or bull)

neigh; nicker; whicker; whinny (the characteristic sounds made by a horse)

roar (the sound made by a lion)

yelp; yelping; yip (a sharp high-pitched cry (especially by a dog))

coo (the sound made by a pigeon)

cluck; clucking (the sound made by a hen (as in calling her chicks))

cheep; peep (the short weak cry of a young bird)

caw (the sound made by corvine birds)

caterwaul (the yowling sound made by a cat in heat)

cackle (the sound made by a hen after laying an egg)

bray (the cry of an ass)

bleat (the sound of sheep or goats (or any sound resembling this))

bay (the sound of a hound on the scent)

bark (the sound made by a dog)

baa (the cry made by sheep)

Derivation:

cry (utter a characteristic sound)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Shed tears because of sadness, rage, or pain

Example:

The girl in the wheelchair wept with frustration when she could not get up the stairs

Synonyms:

cry; weep

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Hypernyms (to "cry" is one way to...):

express emotion; express feelings (give verbal or other expression to one's feelings)

Verb group:

cry (bring into a particular state by crying)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "cry"):

blub; blubber; sniffle; snivel; snuffle (cry or whine with snuffling)

sob (weep convulsively)

tear (fill with tears or shed tears)

bawl (cry loudly)

mewl; pule; wail; whimper (cry weakly or softly)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Antonym:

laugh (produce laughter)

Derivation:

crier (a person who weeps)

cry (a fit of weeping)

crying (the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds))

Sense 2

Meaning:

Bring into a particular state by crying

Example:

The little boy cried himself to sleep

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Hypernyms (to "cry" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Verb group:

cry; weep (shed tears because of sadness, rage, or pain)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody PP

Derivation:

crying (the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds))

Sense 3

Meaning:

Utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy

Example:

'I'm here,' the mother shouted when she saw her child looking lost

Synonyms:

call out; cry; cry out; exclaim; outcry; shout

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "cry" is one way to...):

express; give tongue to; utter; verbalise; verbalize (articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise)

Verb group:

call; cry; holler; hollo; scream; shout; shout out; squall; yell (utter a sudden loud cry)

call out (call out loudly, as of names or numbers)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "cry"):

gee (give a command to a horse to turn to the right side)

aah; ooh (express admiration and pleasure by uttering 'ooh' or 'aah')

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Sentence example:

They cry that there was a traffic accident

Sense 4

Meaning:

Utter a sudden loud cry

Example:

I yelled to her from the window but she couldn't hear me

Synonyms:

call; cry; holler; hollo; scream; shout; shout out; squall; yell

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "cry" is one way to...):

emit; let loose; let out; utter (express audibly; utter sounds (not necessarily words))

Verb group:

call out; cry; cry out; exclaim; outcry; shout (utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy)

call (utter in a loud voice or announce)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "cry"):

hollo (cry hollo)

hurrah (shout 'hurrah!')

halloo (shout 'halloo', as when greeting someone or attracting attention)

whoop (shout, as if with joy or enthusiasm)

pipe; pipe up; shriek; shrill (utter a shrill cry)

howl; roar; ululate; wail; yaup; yawl (emit long loud cries)

screak; screech; skreak; skreigh; squawk (utter a harsh abrupt scream)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Also:

cry out (utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy)

Derivation:

cry (a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition)

cry (a loud utterance of emotion (especially when inarticulate))

Sense 5

Meaning:

Proclaim or announce in public

Example:

He cried his merchandise in the market square

Synonyms:

blazon out; cry

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "cry" is one way to...):

announce; denote (make known; make an announcement)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

crier (a peddler who shouts to advertise the goods he sells)

crier ((formerly) an official who made public announcements)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Utter a characteristic sound

Example:

The cat was crying

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "cry" is one way to...):

emit; let loose; let out; utter (express audibly; utter sounds (not necessarily words))

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sentence examples:

You can hear animals cry in the meadows

The meadows cry with animals

Derivation:

cry (the characteristic utterance of an animal)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Demand immediate action

Example:

This situation is crying for attention

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Hypernyms (to "cry" is one way to...):

need; require; want (have need of)

Sentence frame:

Something is ----ing PP

Credits

 Context examples: 

“Do you not want to know who has taken it?” cried his wife impatiently.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

“How’s this, Watson?” he cried, picking up the paper from the table.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“So much for thy spiritual punishment,” he cried.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“Have you got it?” he cried. “Have you got it?” And so lively was his impatience that he even laid his hand upon my arm and sought to shake me.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

“What a dreadful sight!” cried my mother.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

With that he could wait no longer: so he gave his wife the hatchet, and cried, “Wife, strike at the bird and kill her in my hand.”

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

It is characterized by a cat-like cry in infancy, microcephaly, mental retardation, growth failure, round face, hypertelorism, and cardiac failure.

(Cri du Chat Syndrome, NCI Thesaurus)

Signs of dehydration in babies and young children include a dry mouth and tongue, crying without tears, no wet diapers for 3 hours or more, a high fever and being unusually sleepy or drowsy.

(Dehydration, NIH)

Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) Do you frequently feel like crying?

(GDS - Frequently Feel Like Crying, NCI Thesaurus)

The study also builds upon earlier work showing that women’s and men’s brains respond differently to infant cries.

(Study identifies brain patterns underlying mothers’ responses to infant cries, National Institutes of Health)