What does "cry" mean?
A shedding of tears; the act of crying.
Cry
/kɹaɪ/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A shedding of tears; the act of crying.
- Grammar: cry is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: call, shout, weep, yell.
- Useful contrasts: calm, cheer, chortling.
- Usage evidence: Seriously though, episode 21 made me almost cry while laughing.
How to use "cry"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "cry" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "cry" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "cry" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "cry" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "cry" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "call" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "cry", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A shedding of tears; the act of crying.
"After we broke up, I retreated to my room for a good cry."
- 2 a fit of weeping wordnet
- 3 A shout or scream.
"I heard a cry from afar."
- 4 a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition wordnet
- 5 Words shouted or screamed.
"a battle cry"
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 a loud utterance of emotion (especially when inarticulate) wordnet
- 7 A clamour or outcry.
"His pupil, Maimonides, that he might not be under the necessity of violating the laws of friendship and gratitude, by joining the general cry against Averroes, left Corduba."
- 8 a slogan used to rally support for a cause wordnet
- 9 A group of hounds. collective
"A cry more tunable / Was never hollaed to, nor cheered with horn."
- 10 the characteristic utterance of an animal wordnet
- 11 A pack or company of people. broadly, derogatory, obsolete
"Would not this […] get me a fellowship in a cry of players?"
- 12 A typical sound made by the species in question.
""Woof" is the cry of a dog, while "neigh" is the cry of a horse."
- 13 A desperate or urgent request.
- 14 Common report; gossip. obsolete
"The cry goes that you shall marry her."
Verb
- 1 To shed tears; to weep, especially in anger or sadness. intransitive
"That sad movie always makes me cry."
- 2 shed tears because of sadness, rage, or pain wordnet
- 3 To utter loudly; to call out; to declare publicly. transitive
"All, all, cry shame against ye, yet I'll speak."
- 4 bring into a particular state by crying wordnet
- 5 To shout, scream, yell. ambitransitive
"And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice."
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy wordnet
- 7 To forcefully attract attention or proclaim one’s presence. figuratively, intransitive
"My secrets cry aloud. I have no need for tongue."
- 8 utter a sudden loud cry wordnet
- 9 To utter inarticulate sounds, as animals do. intransitive
"the young ravens which cry"
- 10 proclaim or announce in public wordnet
- 11 To cause to do something, or bring to some state, by crying or weeping. transitive
"Tonight I’ll cry myself to sleep."
- 12 utter a characteristic sound wordnet
- 13 To make oral and public proclamation of; to notify or advertise by outcry, especially things lost or found, goods to be sold, auctioned, etc.
"to cry goods"
- 14 demand immediate action wordnet
- 15 To make oral and public proclamation of; to notify or advertise by outcry, especially things lost or found, goods to be sold, auctioned, etc.; Hence, to publish the banns of, as for marriage.
"I should not be surprised if they were cried in church next Sabbath."
Antonyms
Example
"Seriously though, episode 21 made me almost cry while laughing."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "cry"?
Common synonyms include: call, shout, weep, yell, adjuration, advertise.
How do you use "cry" in a sentence?
Seriously though, episode 21 made me almost cry while laughing.
How do you pronounce "cry"?
Pronounced /kɹaɪ/.
Etymology
The verb is from Middle English crien (13th century), from Old French crier, from Vulgar Latin *crītāre, generally thought to derive from Classical Latin quirītāre (Proto-West Germanic *krītan has also been suggested as a source). The noun corresponds to Middle English cry, crie, from Old French cri, a deverbal of crier. etymology note Middle English crien eventually displaced native Middle English galen (“to cry out”) (from Old English galan), Middle English greden (“to cry out”) (from Old English grǣdan), Middle English yermen (“to bellow, mourn, lament”) (from Old English ġierman), Middle English hooen, hoen (“to cry out”) (from Old Norse hóa), Middle English remen (“to cry, shout”) (from Old English hrīeman, compare Old English hrēam (“noise, outcry, lamentation, alarm”)), Middle English greten, graten (“to weep, cry, lament”) (from Old English grǣtan and Old Norse gráta). More at greet, regret. Already in the 13th century, the meaning was extended to include the sense "to shed tears" (natively weep); cry used in this sense had mostly replaced weep by the 16th century.