CRY (cried, crying, cryings)

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does cry mean? 

• CRY (noun)
  The noun CRY has 5 senses:

1. a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition

2. a loud utterance of emotion (especially when inarticulate)

3. a slogan used to rally support for a cause

4. a fit of weeping

5. the characteristic utterance of an animal

  Familiarity information: CRY used as a noun is common.

• CRY (verb)
  The verb CRY has 7 senses:

1. utter a sudden loud cry

2. shed tears because of sadness, rage, or pain

3. utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy

4. proclaim or announce in public

5. demand immediate action

6. utter a characteristic sound

7. bring into a particular state by crying

  Familiarity information: CRY used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CRY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A loud utterance; often in protest or opposition

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

call; cry; outcry; shout; vociferation; yell

Context example:

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

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)

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

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)

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

blue murder (an extravagantly loud outcry)

catcall (a cry expressing disapproval)

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

halloo (a shout to attract attention)

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

noise (a loud outcry of protest or complaint)

Derivation:

cry (utter a sudden loud cry)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A loud utterance of emotion (especially when inarticulate)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

cry; yell

Context example:

a yell of pain

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 3

Meaning:

A slogan used to rally support for a cause

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

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

Context example:

our watchword will be 'democracy'

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

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

Sense 4

Meaning:

A fit of weeping

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Context example:

had a good cry

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 5

Meaning:

The characteristic utterance of an animal

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Context example:

animal cries filled the night

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

sound (the sudden occurrence of an audible event)

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

coo (the sound made by a pigeon)

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

roar (the sound made by a lion)

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

moo (the sound made by a cow or bull)

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

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

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

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

gobble (the characteristic sound made by a turkey cock)

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

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)

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

Derivation:

cry (utter a characteristic sound)

• CRY (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Utter a sudden loud cry

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

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

Context example:

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

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 2

Meaning:

Shed tears because of sadness, rage, or pain

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Synonyms:

cry; weep

Context example:

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

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"):

tear (fill with tears or shed tears)

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

sob (weep convulsively)

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 3

Meaning:

Utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

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

Context example:

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

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:

Proclaim or announce in public

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

blazon out; cry

Context example:

He cried his merchandise in the market square

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 5

Meaning:

Demand immediate action

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Context example:

This situation is crying for attention

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

need; require; want (have need of)

Sentence frame:

Something is ----ing PP

Sense 6

Meaning:

Utter a characteristic sound

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

The cat was crying

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:

Bring into a particular state by crying

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Context example:

The little boy cried himself to sleep

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))

 Context examples 

The man gave a hoarse cry of grief, which rang through the house.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“The horse was alone before,” I cried.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“You’ve heard about me, Mr. Holmes,” she cried, “else how could you know all that?”

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Then she left the revolt of her thought unexpressed to cry out: "Oh! It is degrading! It is not nice! It is nasty!"

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

I was alarmed at midnight with the cries of many hundred people at my door; by which, being suddenly awaked, I was in some kind of terror.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

"Quick!" cried the Scarecrow. "Let us cross over."

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

Look! look!" he cried suddenly. "There's something in that wind and in the hoast beyont that sounds, and looks, and tastes, and smells like death.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

A cry arose that we were sinking.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

“Now, by Gar, I feex you!” he cried, coming back with a heavy club in his hand.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

"There be no one to hunt meat for us," she cried, turning fiercely upon me.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)