Cry

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Cry, v. i. [F. crier, cf. L. quiritare to raise a plaintive cry, scream, shriek, perh. fr. queri to complain; cf. Skr. cvas to pant, hiss, sigh. Cf. Quarrel a brawl, Querulous.].

•  To make a loud call or cry; to call or exclaim vehemently or earnestly; to shout; to vociferate; to proclaim; to pray; to implore.  [1913 Webster]

  "And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice."  [1913 Webster]

  "Clapping their hands, and crying with loud voice."  [1913 Webster]

  "Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry unto thee."  [1913 Webster]

  "The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord."  [1913 Webster]

  "Some cried after him to return."  [1913 Webster]
•  To utter lamentations; to lament audibly; to express pain, grief, or distress, by weeping and sobbing; to shed tears; to bawl, as a child.  [1913 Webster]

  "Ye shall cry for sorrow of heart."  [1913 Webster]

  "I could find it in my heart to disgrace my man's apparel and to cry like a woman."  [1913 Webster]
•  To utter inarticulate sounds, as animals.  [1913 Webster]

  "The young ravens which cry."  [1913 Webster]

  "In a cowslip's bell I lie
  There I couch when owls do cry."  [1913 Webster]

To cry on or To cry upon, to call upon the name of; to beseech. “No longer on Saint Denis will we cry.” Shak. -- To cry out. (a) To exclaim; to vociferate; to scream; to clamor. (b) To complain loudly; to lament. -- To cry out against, to complain loudly of; to censure; to blame. -- To cry out on or To cry out upon, to denounce; to censure. “Cries out upon abuses.” Shak. -- To cry to, to call on in prayer; to implore. -- To cry you mercy, to beg your pardon. “I cry you mercy, madam; was it you?” Shak.

Cry, v. t. 

•  To utter loudly; to call out; to shout; to sound abroad; to declare publicly.  [1913 Webster]

  "All, all, cry shame against ye, yet I 'll speak."  [1913 Webster]

  "The man . . . ran on,crying, Life! life! Eternal life!"  [1913 Webster]
•  To cause to do something, or bring to some state, by crying or weeping; as, to cry one's self to sleep.  [1913 Webster]
•  To make oral and public proclamation of; to declare publicly; to notify or advertise by outcry, especially things lost or found, goods to be sold, ets.; as, to cry goods, etc.  [1913 Webster]

  "Love is lost, and thus she cries him."  [1913 Webster]
•  to publish the banns of, as for marriage.  [1913 Webster]

  "I should not be surprised if they were cried in church next Sabbath."  [1913 Webster]

  "Men of dissolute lives cry down religion, because they would not be under the restraints of it."

Cry, n. [F. cri, fr. crier to cry. See Cry, v. i. ].

•  A loud utterance; especially, the inarticulate sound produced by one of the lower animals; as, the cry of hounds; the cry of wolves.  Milton.  [1913 Webster]
•  Outcry; clamor; tumult; popular demand.  [1913 Webster]

  "Again that cry was found to have been as unreasonable as ever."  [1913 Webster]
•  Any expression of grief, distress, etc., accompanied with tears or sobs; a loud sound, uttered in lamentation.  [1913 Webster]

  "There shall be a great cry throughout all the land."  [1913 Webster]

  "An infant crying in the night,
  An infant crying for the light;
  And with no language but a cry."  [1913 Webster]
•  Loud expression of triumph or wonder or of popular acclamation or favor.  Swift.  [1913 Webster]

  "The cry went once on thee."  [1913 Webster]
•  Importunate supplication.  [1913 Webster]

  "O, the most piteous cry of the poor souls."  [1913 Webster]
•  Public advertisement by outcry; proclamation, as by hawkers of their wares.  [1913 Webster]

  "The street cries of London."  [1913 Webster]
•  Common report; fame.  [1913 Webster]

  "The cry goes that you shall marry her."  [1913 Webster]
•  A word or phrase caught up by a party or faction and repeated for effect; as, the party cry of the Tories.  [1913 Webster]

  "All now depends upon a good cry."  [1913 Webster]
•  A pack of hounds.  Milton.  [1913 Webster]

  "A cry more tunable
  Was never hollaed to, nor cheered with horn."  [1913 Webster]
•  A pack or company of persons; -- in contempt.  [1913 Webster]

  "Would not this . . . get me a fellowship in a cry of players?"  [1913 Webster]
•  The crackling noise made by block tin when it is bent back and forth.  [1913 Webster]

A far cry, a long distance; -- in allusion to the sending of criers or messengers through the territory of a Scottish clan with an announcement or summons.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Cry, v. & n.
--v. (cries, cried)
1 intr. (often foll. by out) make a loud or shrill sound, esp. to express pain, grief, etc., or to appeal for help.
2 a intr. shed tears; weep. b tr. shed (tears).
3 tr. (often foll. by out) say or exclaim loudly or excitedly.
4 intr. (of an animal, esp. a bird) make a loud call.
5 tr. (of a hawker etc.) proclaim (wares etc.) in the street.
--n. (pl. cries)
1 a loud inarticulate utterance of grief, pain, fear, joy, etc.
2 a loud excited utterance of words.
3 an urgent appeal or entreaty.
4 a spell of weeping.
5 a public demand; a strong movement of opinion. b a watchword or rallying call.
6 the natural utterance of an animal, esp. of hounds on the scent.
7 the street-call of a hawker etc.

Idiom

cry-baby a person, esp. a child, who sheds tears frequently. cry down disparage, belittle. cry one's eyes (or heart) out weep bitterly. cry for the moon ask for what is unattainable. cry from the heart a passionate appeal or protest. cry off colloq. withdraw from a promise or undertaking. cry out for demand as a self-evident requirement or solution. cry over spilt milk see MILK. cry stinking fish disparage one's own efforts, products, etc. cry up praise, extol. cry wolf see WOLF. a far cry
1 a long way.
2 a very different thing. for crying out loud colloq. an exclamation of surprise or annoyance. in full cry (of hounds) in keen pursuit.

Etymology

ME f. OF crier, cri f. L quiritare wail

THESAURUS

Cry

PR, adjuration, advertise, alleluia, animal noise, appeal, applaud, applause, ballyhoo, bark, barking, battle cry, bawl, bawling, bay, bell, bellow, bemoan, beseechment, bewail, bid, birdcall, blare, blare forth, blat, blate, blaze, blaze abroad, blazon, blazon about, bleat, blubber, blubbering, blurb, boohoo, bray, break down, bright light, bruit, build up, burst into tears, buzz, byword, call, canard, catch phrase, catchword, caterwaul, caw, celebrate, celebrity, cheer, choke up, chorus of cheers, clamor, clang, cliche, common knowledge, common talk, craze, cry aloud, cry for joy, cry out, crying, currency, daylight, declaim, dissolve in tears, dolorous tirade, drop a tear, eclat, entreaty, exposure, fad word, fame, famousness, fit of crying, flood of tears, flying rumor, furore, give a cheer, give tongue, give voice, glare, good cry, gossip, grapevine, greet, groan, grunt, hail, hallelujah, halloo, hearsay, herald, herald abroad, holler, hollo, hoopla, hooray, hoot, hosanna, howl, howling, hue and cry, hurrah, hurray, huzzah, idea afloat, imploration, imploring, imprecation, invocation, invocatory plea, jeremiad, keen, lachryma, lachrymosity, lacrimatory, lament, latrine rumor, limelight, low, make an outcry, mating call, maximum dissemination, melting mood, meow, mew, mewl, miaow, moan, mode, moo, motto, mourn, murmur, mutter, neigh, news stirring, nicker, note, notoriety, obsecration, obtestation, on-dit, outcry, overflowing eyes, paean, pet expression, pipe, plaint, planctus, plea, plug, prayer, press notice, press-agent, proclaim, promulgate, public eye, public knowledge, public relations, public report, publicity, publicity story, publicness, puff, pule, pushover, rage, rah, rallying cry, reclame, rend the air, report, roar, rogation, roorback, rumble, rumor, screak, scream, screech, scuttlebutt, shed tears, shibboleth, shout, shout hosanna, shriek, sigh, slogan, sniff, snivel, sniveling, sob, sobbing, song, sorrow, split the throat, spotlight, squall, squawk, squeak, squeal, strain the voice, stridulation, suit, supplication, talk, tear, tear bottle, teardrop, tearful eyes, tearfulness, tears, thunder, thunder forth, tirade, ton, town talk, trend, troat, trumpet, trumpet forth, ululate, ululation, unconfirmed report, vociferate, vogue, vogue word, wail, wail of woe, war cry, weep, weepiness, weeping, whicker, whimper, whimpering, whine, whinny, whisper, whoop, woodnote, write-up, yammer, yap, yawl, yawp, yell, yelp, yip, yippee, yowl

ROGET THESAURUS

Cry

Voice

N voice, vocality, organ, lungs, bellows, good voice, fine voice, powerful voice, musical voice, intonation, tone of voice, vocalization, cry, strain, utterance, prolation, exclamation, ejaculation, vociferation, ecphonesis, enunciation, articulation, articulate sound, distinctness, clearness, of articulation, stage whisper, delivery, accent, accentuation, emphasis, stress, broad accent, strong accent, pure accent, native accent, foreign accent, pronunciation, homonym, orthoepy, cacoepy, euphony, gastriloquism, ventriloquism, ventriloquist, polyphonism, polyphonist, phonology, vocal, phonetic, oral, ejaculatory, articulate, distinct, stertorous, euphonious, how sweetly sounds the voice of a good woman, the organ of the soul, thy voice is a celestial melody.

VB utter, breathe, give utterance, give tongue, cry, ejaculate, rap out, vocalize, prolate, articulate, enunciate, pronounce, accentuate, aspirate, deliver, mouth, whisper in the ear.

Habit

N habit, habitude, assuetude, assuefaction, wont, run, way, common state of things, general state of things, natural state of things, ordinary state of things, ordinary course of things, ordinary run of things, matter of course, beaten path, beaten track, beaten ground, prescription, custom, use, usage, immemorial usage, practice, prevalence, observance, conventionalism, conventionality, mode, fashion, vogue, etiquette, order of the day, cry, conformity, consuetude, dustoor, one's old way, old school, veteris vestigia flammae, laudator temporis acti, rule, standing order, precedent, routine, red-tape, red-tapism, pipe clay, rut, groove, cacoethes, bad habit, confirmed habit, inveterate habit, intrinsic habit, addiction, trick, training, seasoning, second nature, acclimatization, knack, habitual, accustomary, prescriptive, accustomed, of daily occurrence, of everyday occurrence, consuetudinary, wonted, usual, general, ordinary, common, frequent, everyday, household, garden variety, jog, trot, well-trodden, well-known, familiar, vernacular, trite, commonplace, conventional, regular, set, stock, established, stereotyped, prevailing, prevalent, current, received, acknowledged, recognized, accredited, of course, admitted, understood, conformable, according to use, according to custom, according to routine, in vogue, in fashion, in, with it, fashionable, wont, used to, given to, addicted to, attuned to, habituated, in the habit of, habitue, at home in, seasoned, imbued with, devoted to, wedded to, hackneyed, fixed, rooted, deep-rooted, ingrafted, permanent, inveterate, besetting, naturalized, ingrained, habitually, always, as usual, as is one's wont, as things go, as the world goes, as the sparks fly upwards, more suo, more solito, ex more, as a rule, for the most part, usually, generally, typically, most often, most frequently, cela s'entend, abeunt studia in mores, adeo in teneris consuescere multum est, consuetudo quasi altera natura, hoc erat in more majorum, How use doth breed a habit in a man!, magna est vis consuetudinis, morent fecerat usus.

Lamentation

N lament, lamentation, wail, complaint, plaint, murmur, mutter, grumble, groan, moan, whine, whimper, sob, sigh, suspiration, heaving, deep sigh, cry, scream, howl, outcry, wail of woe, ululation, frown, scowl, tear, weeping, flood of tears, fit of crying, lacrimation, lachrymation, melting mood, weeping and gnashing of teeth, plaintiveness, languishment, condolence, mourning, weeds, willow, cypress, crape, deep mourning, sackcloth and ashes, lachrymatory, knell, deep death song, dirge, coronach, nenia, requiem, elegy, epicedium, threne, monody, threnody, jeremiad, jeremiade, ullalulla, mourner, grumbler, Noobe, Heraclitus, lamenting, in mourning, in sackcloth and ashes, sorrowing, sorrowful, mournful, tearful, lachrymose, plaintive, plaintful, querulous, querimonious, in the melting mood, threnetic, in tears, with tears in one's eyes, with moistened eyes, with watery eyes, bathed in tears, dissolved in tears, like Niobe all tears, elegiac, epicedial, de profundis, les larmes aux yeux, Int, heigh-ho!, alas!, alack!, O dear!, ah me!, woe is me!, lackadaisy!, well a day!, lack a day!, alack a day!, wellaway!, alas the day!, O tempora O mores!, what a pity!, miserabile dictu!, O lud lud!, too true!, tears standing in the eyes, tears starting from the eyes, eyes suffused, eyes swimming, eyes brimming, eyes overflowing with tears, if you have tears prepare to shed them now, interdum lacrymae pondera vocis habent, strangled his language in his tears, tears such as angels weep.

VB lament, mourn, deplore, grieve, weep over, bewail, bemoan, condole with, fret, wear mourning, go into mourning, put on mourning, wear the willow, wear sackcloth and ashes, infandum renovare dolorem, give sorrow words, sigh, give a sigh, heave, fetch a sigh, waft a sigh from Indus to the pole, sigh 'like a furnace', wail, cry, weep, sob, greet, blubber, pipe, snivel, bibber, whimper, pule, pipe one's eye, drop tears, shed tears, drop a tear, shed a tear, melt into tears, burst into tears, fondre en larmes, cry oneself blind, cry one's eyes out, yammer, scream, mew, groan, moan, whine, roar, roar like a bull, bellow like a bull, cry out lustily, rend the air, frown, scowl, make a wry face, gnash one's teeth, wring one's hands, tear one's hair, beat one's breast, roll on the ground, burst with grief, complain, murmur, mutter, grumble, growl, clamor, make a fuss about, croak, grunt, maunder, deprecate, cry out before one is hurt, complain without cause.

Cry

N cry, voice, hubbub, bark, vociferation, outcry, hullabaloo, chorus, clamor, hue and cry, plaint, lungs, stentor, crying, clamant, clamorous, vociferous, stentorian, open-mouthed.

VB cry, roar, shout, bawl, brawl, halloo, halloa, hoop, whoop, yell, bellow, howl, scream, screech, screak, shriek, shrill, squeak, squeal, squall, whine, pule, pipe, yaup, cheer, hoot, grumble, moan, groan, snore, snort, grunt, vociferate, raise up the voice, lift up the voice, call out, sing out, cry out, exclaim, rend the air, thunder at the top of one's voice, shout at the top of one's voice, shout at the pitch of one's breath, thunder at the pitch of one's breath, s'_egosiller, strain the throat, strain the voice, strain the lungs, give a cry.

Ululation

N ululation, cry, crying, bowwow, ululation, latration, belling, reboation, wood-note, insect cry, fritiniancy, drone, screech owl, cuckoo, wailing (lamentation), crying, blatant, latrant, remugient, mugient, deep-mouthed, full-mouthed, rebellowing, reboant, in full cry, (iii) MUSICAL SOUNDS.

VB cry, roar, bellow, blare, rebellow, growl, snarl, bark, bow-wow, yelp, bay, bay at the moon, yap, yip, yipe, growl, yarr, yawl, snarl, howl, grunt, gruntle, snort, squeak neigh, whinny, bray, mew, mewl, meow, purr, caterwaul, pule, baa, bleat, low, moo, troat, croak, peep, coo, gobble, quack, honk, gaggle, guggle, crow, caw, squawk, screech cackle, cluck, clack, chuck, chuckle, hoot, hoo, chirp, cheep, chirrup, twitter, cuckoo, warble, trill, tweet, pipe, whistle, hum, buzz, hiss, blatter, ratatat.

Publication

N publication, public announcement, promulgation, propagation, proclamation, pronunziamento, circulation, indiction, edition, hue and cry, publicity, notoriety, currency, flagrancy, cry, bruit, hype, vox populi, report, the Press, public press, newspaper, journal, gazette, daily, telegraphy, publisher, imprint, circular, circular letter, manifesto, advertisement, ad, placard, bill, affiche, broadside, poster, notice, published, current, in circulation, public, notorious, flagrant, arrant, open, trumpet-tongued, encyclical, encyclic, promulgatory, exoteric, publicly, in open court, with open doors, Int, Oyez!, O yes!, notice!, notice is hereby given, this is to give, these are to give notice, nomina stultorum parietibus haerent, semel emissum volat irrevocabile verbum.

News

N news, information, piece of news, budget of news, budget of information, intelligence, tidings, word, advice, aviso, message, dispatch, despatch, telegram, cable, marconigram, wire, communication, errand, embassy, report, rumor, hearsay, on dit, flying rumor, news stirring, cry, buzz, bruit, fame, talk, oui dire, scandal, eavesdropping, town tattle, table talk, tittle tattle, canard, topic of the day, idea afloat, bulletin, fresh news, stirring news, glad tidings, flash, news just in, on-the-spot coverage, live coverage, old story, old news, stale news, stale story, chestnut, narrator, newsmonger, scandalmonger, talebearer, telltale, gossip, tattler, journalism, media, news media, the press, the information industry, newspaper, magazine, tract, journal, gazette, publication, radio, television, ticker (electronic information transmission), United Press International, UPI, Associated Press, AP, The Dow Jones News Service, DJ, The New York Times News Service, NYT, Reuters, TASS, The Nikkei, newscaster, newsman, newswoman, reporter, journalist, correspondent, foreign correspondent, special correspondent, war correspondent, news team, news department, anchorman, anchorwoman, sportscaster, weatherman, press secretary, public relations department, public relations man, many-tongued, rumored, publicly rumored, currently rumored, currently reported, rife, current, floating, afloat, going about, in circulation, in every one's mouth, all over the town, in progress, live, on the spot, in person, as the story goes, as the story runs, as they say, it is said, by telegraph, by wireless, airy tongues that syllable men's names, what's up?, what's the latest?, what's new?, what's the latest poop?.

Indication

N indication, symbolism, symbolization, semiology, semiotics, semeiology, semeiotics, Zeitgeist, characteristic, diagnostic, lineament, feature, trait, fingerprint, voiceprint, footprint, noseprint, cloven hoof, footfall, recognition (memory), diagnostic, divining rod, detector, sign, symbol, index, indice, indicator, point, pointer, exponent, note, token, symptom, dollar sign, dollar mark, type, figure, emblem, cipher, device, representation, epigraph, motto, posy, gesture, gesticulation, pantomime, wink, glance, leer, nod, shrug, beck, touch, nudge, dactylology, dactylonomy, freemasonry, telegraphy, chirology, byplay, dumb show, cue, hint, clue, clew, key, scent, signal, signal post, rocket, blue light, watch fire, watch tower, telegraph, semaphore, flagstaff, cresset, fiery cross, calumet, heliograph, guidon, headlight, mark, scratch, line, stroke, dash, score, stripe, streak, tick, dot, point, notch, nick, print, imprint, impress, impression, keyboard symbols, printing symbols, red letter, italics, sublineation, underlining, bold font, jotting, note, annotation, reference, blaze, cedilla, guillemets, hachure, quotation marks, ", double quotes, " ", parentheses, "( )", brackets, "", braces, "", left arrow, "<", right arrow, ">", forward slash, "/", backward slash, "\", exclamation point, "!", commercial at, "@", pound sign, "#", percent sign, "%", carat, "", ampersand, "&", asterisk, "*", hyphen, "-", dash, "-", "_", em dash, "--", plus sign, "+", equals sign, "=", question mark, "?", period, ", ", semicolon, ", ", colon, ":", comma, ", ", apostrophe, "'", single quote, "'", tilde, "~", badge, criterion, countercheck, countermark, countersign, counterfoil, duplicate, tally, label, ticket, billet, letter, counter, check, chip, chop, dib, totem, tessera, card, bill, witness, voucher, stamp, cacher, trade mark, Hall mark, signature, mark, autograph, autography, attestation, hand, hand writing, sign manual, cipher, seal, sigil, signet, hand and seal, paraph, brand, superscription, indorsement, endorsement, password, watchword, catchword, security card, pass, passkey, credentials, open sesame, timbrology, mot de passe, mot du guet, pass-parole, shibboleth, title, heading, docket, address card, visiting card, carte de visite, insignia, banner, banneret, bannerol, bandrol, flag, colors, streamer, standard, eagle, labarum, oriflamb, oriflamme, figurehead, ensign, pennon, pennant, pendant, burgee, blue Peter, jack, ancient, gonfalon, union jack, banderole, old glory, quarantine flag, vexillum, yellow-flag, yellow jack, tricolor, stars and stripes, bunting, heraldry, crest, coat of arms, arms, armorial bearings, hatchment, escutcheon, scutcheon, shield, supporters, livery, uniform, cockade, epaulet, chevron, garland, love knot, favor, beacon, cairn, post, staff, flagstaff, hand, pointer, vane, cock, weathercock, guidepost, handpost, fingerpost, directing post, signpost, pillars of Hercules, pharos, bale-fire, beacon-fire, l'etoile du Nord, landmark, seamark, lighthouse, balize, polestar, loadstar, lodestar, cynosure, guide, address, direction, name, sign, signboard, warning, omen, prefigurement, trace, record, warning &c, alarm, scepter, trophy, gauge, milestone, milepost, brand, fool's cap, check, telltale, test, mileage ticket, milliary, notification, advertisement, word of command, call, bugle call, trumpet call, bell, alarum, cry, battle cry, rallying cry, angelus, reveille, sacring bell, sanctus bell, exposition &c (explanation), proof, pattern, indicating, indicative, indicatory, denotative, connotative, diacritical, representative, typical, symbolic, pantomimic, pathognomonic, symptomatic, characteristic, demonstrative, diagnostic, exponential, emblematic, armorial, individual, known by, recognizable by, indicated, pointed, marked, denotable, indelible, in token of, symbolically, in dumb show, ecce signum, ex ungue leonem, ex pede Herculem, vide ut supra, vultus ariete fortior.