verb

cry

kreye

verb

To shed tears, usually from sadness, pain, or strong emotion.

"She started to cry when she heard the news."

"The baby cried all through the night."

To shout or call out loudly.

""Help!" he cried, waving his arms."

noun

An act of shedding tears.

"She had a good cry after the breakup and felt better afterward."

A loud shout or call.

"A cry went up from the crowd as the goal was scored."

How to Use Cry

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo weep, or to shout something out loudly.

Common pairings

cry for help cry out loud have a cry

Word Forms

cried past tense, cryed past tense, crode past tense, cry plural, cryed plural, cried plural, crode plural, cries plural, cries singular, cry singular, cried singular, cryed singular, crode singular, criest singular, criedst singular, cryest singular, cryedst singular, crieth singular, cryeth singular

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She started to _____ when she heard the news.

Etymology

From Old French crier, tracing back to Latin quiritare ("to shout"). The sense of shedding tears developed in English from the 13th century onward, gradually replacing the older word "weep".

Synonyms

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bawl blubber sob wail weep whimper

Antonyms

laugh

Related Words

laugh weep laughter complain woe wail lament whimper

Rhymes for cry

outcry

See all rhymes for cry →

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