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crying need


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WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
cry•ing /ˈkraɪɪŋ/USA pronunciation   adj. [before a noun]
  1. demanding attention, repair, etc.:a crying need for more money for schools.
  2. terribly and obviously bad;
    abominable;
    flagrant: It's a crying shame that we don't spend more on education.
cry•ing•ly, adv. 

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
cry /kraɪ/USA pronunciation   v., cried, cry•ing, n., pl. cries. 
v. 
  1. to utter sounds, esp. of grief or suffering, usually with tears:[no object]She cried with pain.
  2. to shed tears, with or without sound;
    weep:[no object]He cried all night the day his mother died.
  3. [~ + oneself] to bring (oneself ) to a certain state or condition by weeping: The baby cried himself to sleep.
  4. to call loudly;
    shout: [no object;
    (~ + out)]    She cried out with pain when she tripped and fell.[~ (+ out) + object]He cried a warning as the wolf sprang at them.[used with quotations;
    ~ (+ out)]    "Help!'' she cried (out).
  5. (of an animal) to give forth a characteristic call:[no object]The seagulls cried.
  6. to beg or plead for something:[~ + for + object]to cry for mercy.
  7. to announce publicly:[~ + object]to cry one's wares to sell.
  8. cry out against, [~ + out against + object] to speak out against:His book cries out against bigotry and hatred.
  9. cry out for, [~ + out + for + object] to show or demonstrate an urgent need for attention to: These decaying streets cry out for repair.

n. [countable]
  1. the act or sound of crying:cries of outrage.
  2. a period or fit of weeping:had a good cry.
  3. the characteristic call of an animal:the cries of the seagulls.
  4. an urgent request;
    appeal:a cry for help.
  5. Governmenta shout of encouragement, such as a political or party slogan, or words to troops in battle:a battle cry.
Idioms
  1. Idioms a far cry, [uncountable] altogether or completely different:The small town was a far cry from the inner city he lived in.
  2. Idioms cry over spilled milk, [used with a negative word or phrase] to regret what cannot be changed or undone:There is no use crying over spilled milk.


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
cry•ing  (krī′ing),USA pronunciation adj. 
  1. demanding attention or remedy;
    critical;
    severe:a crying evil.
  2. reprehensible;
    odious;
    notorious:a crying shame.
  • Middle English cryenge. See cry, -ing2 1300–50
cry′ing•ly, adv. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
cry  (krī),USA pronunciation v., cried, cry•ing, n., pl. cries. 
v.i. 
  1. to utter inarticulate sounds, esp. of lamentation, grief, or suffering, usually with tears.
  2. to weep;
    shed tears, with or without sound.
  3. to call loudly;
    shout;
    yell (sometimes fol. by out).
  4. to demand resolution or strongly indicate a particular disposition:The rise in crime cried out for greater police protection.
  5. to give forth vocal sounds or characteristic calls, as animals;
    yelp;
    bark.
  6. (of a hound or pack) to bay continuously and excitedly in following a scent.
  7. Metallurgy(of tin) to make a noise, when bent, like the crumpling of paper.

v.t. 
  1. to utter or pronounce loudly;
    call out.
  2. to announce publicly as for sale;
    advertise:to cry one's wares.
  3. to beg or plead for;
    implore:to cry mercy.
  4. to bring (oneself ) to a specified state by weeping:The infant cried itself to sleep.
  5. cry down, to disparage;
    belittle:Those people cry down everyone who differs from them.
  6. Idioms cry havoc. See havoc (def. 2).
  7. cry off, to break a promise, agreement, etc.:We made arrangements to purchase a house, but the owner cried off at the last minute.
  8. Idioms cry one's eyes or heart out, to cry excessively or inconsolably:The little girl cried her eyes out when her cat died.
  9. Idioms cry over spilled or spilt milk. See milk (def. 4).
  10. cry up, to praise;
    extol:to cry up one's profession.

n. 
  1. the act or sound of crying;
    any loud utterance or exclamation;
    a shout, scream, or wail.
  2. clamor;
    outcry.
  3. a fit of weeping:to have a good cry.
  4. the utterance or call of an animal.
  5. Governmenta political or party slogan.
  6. See battle cry. 
  7. an oral proclamation or announcement.
  8. a call of wares for sale, services available, etc., as by a street vendor.
  9. public report.
  10. an opinion generally expressed.
  11. an entreaty;
    appeal.
  12. Sport[Fox Hunting.]
    • a pack of hounds.
    • a continuous baying of a hound or a pack in following a scent.
  13. Idioms a far cry:
    • quite some distance;
      a long way.
    • only remotely related;
      very different:This treatment is a far cry from that which we received before.
  14. Idioms in full cry, in hot pursuit:The pack followed in full cry.
  • Anglo-French, Old French cri, noun, nominal derivative of the verb, verbal
  • Vulgar Latin *crītāre for Latin quirītāre to cry out in protest, make a public cry; associated by folk etymology, etymological with Quirītēs Quirites; (noun, nominal)
  • Anglo-French, Old French crier
  • (verb, verbal) Middle English crien 1175–1225
    1. wail, keen, moan. 2. sob, bawl, whimper. 3. yowl, bawl, clamor, vociferate, exclaim, ejaculate, scream. Cry, shout, bellow, roar refer to kinds of loud articulate or inarticulate sounds. Cry is the general word:to cry out.To shout is to raise the voice loudly in uttering words or other articulate sounds:He shouted to his companions.Bellow refers to the loud, deep cry of a bull, moose, etc., or, somewhat in deprecation, to human utterance that suggests such a sound:The speaker bellowed his answer.Roar refers to a deep, hoarse, rumbling or vibrant cry, often of tumultuous volume:The crowd roared approval.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
crying /ˈkraɪɪŋ/ adj
  1. (prenominal) notorious; lamentable (esp in the phrase crying shame)
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
cry /kraɪ/ vb (cries, crying, cried)
  1. (intransitive) to utter inarticulate sounds, esp when weeping; sob
  2. (intransitive) to shed tears; weep
  3. (intransitive) usually followed by out: to scream or shout in pain, terror, etc
  4. (transitive) often followed by out: to utter or shout (words of appeal, exclamation, fear, etc)
  5. (intransitive) often followed by out: (of animals, birds, etc) to utter loud characteristic sounds
  6. (transitive) to hawk or sell by public announcement: to cry newspapers
  7. to announce (something) publicly or in the streets
  8. (intransitive) followed by for: to clamour or beg
  9. cry for the moon ⇒ to desire the unattainable
  10. cry one's eyes out, cry one's heart out ⇒ to weep bitterly
 n ( pl cries)
  1. the act or sound of crying; a shout, exclamation, scream, or wail
  2. the characteristic utterance of an animal or bird
  3. a fit of weeping
  4. the baying of a pack of hounds hunting their quarry by scent
  5. a far cry ⇒
    • a long way
    • something very different
  6. in full cry ⇒ (esp of a pack of hounds) in hot pursuit of a quarry
Etymology: 13th Century: from Old French crier, from Latin quirītāre to call for help

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