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Glite Dictionary
😭 To shed tears 😭 A session of weeping 🗣️ To shout out ⚠️ To demand action 🦅 A loud sound 📢 A rallying call 📣 To announce publicly
to cry

to cry

∞ 1.0
To let tears fall because you feel sad or hurt
  • verb
  • /kraɪ/
translation icon : llorar
  • Has anyone ever told you that you cry out in your sleep?
  • make me cry
  • start crying
  • begin to cry

That's the first time I ever cried when someone died.

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Examples

  • "Sometimes we just have to let the baby cry himself out," he told her.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • I myself have thought, written, and cried about the tragedies of our people's recent past.

    Academic text (1999)

  • And I could either stop and cry or I could laugh, right?

    Evan Carmichael

  • Just feel like I'm going to cry now.

  • No one will care, and when you cry in the darkness, no one will hear you.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • When was the last time you cried of happiness?

    The Diary Of A CEO

  • Oh my goodness, I might cry tears of joy.

  • "Don't worry," she says, "it's good to cry like this, to let your feelings out."

    Fiction book (1990)

  • Some students spent their first nights of boarding tossing and turning, crying, or missing their family.

    Academic text (2011)

  • The movie was so sad that I couldn't help but cry at the ending.

Synonyms

to weep
vsto cry
208 1.1

To cry and let tears fall because you feel sad or have strong feelings

is the broader everyday term for shedding tears
to wail
vsto cry
84 3.2

To make a long loud cry because you are hurt or very sad

covers shedding tears but not necessarily prolonged mournful sounds
to whimper
vsto cry
69 3.3

To make a low, soft cry because of pain or fear

is stronger and usually includes visible tears rather than small sounds
to bawl
vsto cry
39 5.9

Cry or shout loudly and without control

focuses on shedding tears rather than loud shouting
to burst into tears
vsto cry
24 2.4

To suddenly cry because of a strong feeling

is wider, covering steady or delayed tearful responses
to sob
vsto cry
15 1.0

To cry with short, noisy breaths

involves shedding tears without noisy gasping breaths
to shed a tear
vsto cry
14 3.5

Cry a little, often with one tear

is used for any tearing, not only small restrained instances
to cry one's eyes out
vsto cry
  • Informal
7 4.2

Cry for a long time because you feel very sad

means general shedding of tears, not always extreme or long
to bawl one's eyes out
vsto cry
  • Informal
3 7.6

Cry very loudly and for a long time

is less extreme and can be controlled or quieter

Antonyms

to laugh
∞ 1.0

To make sounds and move your face or body because something is funny

to rejoice
93 3.6

Feel or show that you are very happy

Idioms

far cry from
  • Informal
27 4.9

Very different from what you expect, often in a disappointing way

far cry
  • Informal
22 6.3

A thing or situation that is very different from another

shoulder to cry on
  • Informal
15 3.2

A person who gives comfort and listens when you feel sad

to cry wolf
12 5.8

To say there is danger when there is none so people stop believing you

about to cry
8 3.0

Close to crying because you feel sad

to cry one's eyes out
  • Informal
7 4.2

Cry for a long time because you feel very sad

to cry over spilt milk
  • UK
4 4.3

To waste time being upset about something that already happened and cannot be changed

to cry the blues
  • Informal
1 7.5

To feel sad and complain to others

to cry uncle
  • Informal
1 8.8

To admit you give up when someone pressures you

to cry a river
  • Informal
1 8.7

Complain a lot in a dramatic way about something that upsets you

cry me a river
  • Informal
1 9.6

Tell someone you do not feel sorry for their complaints

to make baby Jesus cry
  • Informal
1 9.9

Cause great sadness or disappointment, often as a joke

to cry all the way to the bank
  • Informal
8.6

To make a lot of money while pretending to complain

to cry in one's beer
  • Informal
9.6

To feel sorry for yourself and complain to get sympathy

to cry like a pissbaby
  • Offensive
9.9

To cry in a very childish way when upset

cry than wool
9.9

A situation that makes a lot of noise but has little real effect

don't cry for me, Argentina
9.9

A dramatic way to tell people not to be sad when you leave, from the musical Evita

Phrasal Verbs

to cry out
108 1.8

Shout loudly to show a strong feeling, for example when surprised or hurt

to cry out for
26 4.1

To urgently need something

to cry foul
11 5.6

Complain loudly in public that a decision is unfair

to cry out for help
7 2.7

To shout loudly when you need help right away

to cry for
3 4.1

To need something urgently

to cry down
1 7.1

To speak badly about someone or something in public

Compounds

rallying cry
12 5.6

A short word or phrase that encourages people to unite and act for a cause

battle cry
8 3.9

A loud shout or short phrase that encourages people to act together

hue and cry
  • Informal
4 7.7

A loud public complaint by many people asking for action

war cry
2 4.3

A loud shout to encourage or rally people before a battle

far cry
1 6.3

A long distance from a town or city

kiss and cry
  • Jargon
1 9.4

An area at competitions like figure skating where athletes and coaches wait for scores and show emotion

cry cupboard
  • Literature
9.9

A private place where you go to be alone and let out your feelings

cry-baby tree
9.9

A small spiny tree from South America with deep red flowers

party cry
7.0

A short chant people shout together at a celebration to show support

How Intense

to wail
84 3.2
to sob
15 1.0
to cry
∞ 1.0
to sniffle
18 2.3

Surface Forms

cry infinitive
cried past
cried past participle
crying present participle
cries third person singular

Etymology

Cry as a verb comes from the old idea of 'calling out' with your voice, and it later came to mean making tears and sounds from strong feeling. So to cry is to show emotion by making noises and shedding tears.