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cry

cry

110 4.9
A short phrase used to show strong support for a cause
  • noun
  • /kraɪ/
translation icon : consigna
  • "Save the Whales" was a popular battle cry of the environmental movement in the 1970s.
  • a rallying cry
  • a battle cry
  • a cry of protest

Examples

  • This cry is "Homeland or death!"

  • Think of their cry of undying support

  • I think, I think this is a cry for cash he needs.

  • Your performance tonight, was it a cry for help, or a cry for attention?

  • After the results at the Olympics and now in the Channel, it will be a rallying cry for those to oppose female athletics.

  • Like the wage gap, this has become a rallying cry for advocates of preference programs for women.

    Academic text (1996)
  • Recently, however, federalism has become a rallying cry for resurgent conservatives in Congress and state government.

    Academic text (1995)
  • It's true that the cry in the Arab street is for liberation from corrupt and despotic governments.

    Academic text (2011)
  • "Both, significantly enough, were in Georgia, where white supremacy is a deliberate rallying cry for political advancement.

    Academic text (2011)
  • The activists rallied together under the cry of "Justice for All!"

Synonyms

cheer
vscry
205 1.0

A loud shout people make to show approval or support

refers instead to a slogan used to unite people for a cause
rallying cry
vscry
12 5.6

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

is the general term for a slogan used to rally support
battle cry
vscry
8 3.9

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

is broader, applying to any slogan for a movement or campaign
watchword
vscry
5 7.0

A short phrase that guides a group or cause

focuses more on brief calls to unite people for campaigning
war cry
vscry
2 4.3

A loud shout to encourage or rally people before a battle

is broader, covering slogans beyond battle or fighting contexts
catchword
vscry
1 7.6

A short word or phrase often used by a group as a slogan

is used more generally as a public call for collective action
party cry
vscry
7.0

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

is used more broadly for campaigns and movements beyond celebration

Antonyms

660 2.0

A period with no sound or speech

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

15 3.2

A person who gives comfort and listens when you feel sad

12 5.8

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

8 3.0

Close to crying because you feel sad

7 4.2

Cry for a long time because you feel very sad

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

1 9.9

Cause great sadness or disappointment, often as a joke

To make a lot of money while pretending to complain

9.6

To feel sorry for yourself and complain to get sympathy

9.9

To cry in a very childish way when upset

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

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

Compounds

12 5.6

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

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

2 4.3

A loud shout to encourage or rally people before a battle

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

A small spiny tree from South America with deep red flowers

7.0

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

How Powerful

battle cry
8 3.9
cry
110 4.9
chant
57 3.0
slogan
202 2.5
motto
153 3.0

Surface Forms

cry singular
cries plural

Etymology

Cry can mean a short, strong shout or slogan because groups used loud calls to bring people together, like a battle cry. So a campaign or movement cry is a simple, powerful phrase used to rally people.