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
Recent Examples on the Web
Dan Crenshaw, National Review, 22 Nov. 2024
But Jenny accuses her of not having a soul, then runs away, crying.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 22 Nov. 2024
Tony Blengino, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Republicans have previously tried to invoke sympathy for animals as a rallying cry against the government, spreading the false story that Haitian immigrants in Ohio eat dogs and cats.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cry 
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show current usage.
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Verb
First of all, the breathless cries about the imminency of WWIII have been wrong, every single day, since February 2022, when Russia invaded.
—Dan Crenshaw, National Review, 22 Nov. 2024
But Jenny accuses her of not having a soul, then runs away, crying.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 22 Nov. 2024
Noun
All last offseason, the cries that the Dodgers were buying a World Series championship rang out.
—Tony Blengino, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Republicans have previously tried to invoke sympathy for animals as a rallying cry against the government, spreading the false story that Haitian immigrants in Ohio eat dogs and cats.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for cry
Dictionary Entries Near cry
Cite this Entry
“Cry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cry. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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