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Glite Dictionary
😭 Shedding tears 😠 Very bad
crying

crying

4.6
Something very bad or unfair that needs urgent attention
  • adjective
  • /ˈkraɪɪŋ/
translation icon : vergonzoso
  • Well, it'd be a crying shame if we didn't find out.

It is a crying shame not to harness these studies.

Examples

  • It's a crying shame that so many people go hungry in a world of plenty.

  • The neglected park became a crying shame in the heart of the city.

  • We got gender mainstreaming, for crying out loud.

  • For crying out loud, we need to do something about this pollution!

Synonyms

gross
vscrying
  • Formal
65 4.3

Very serious and obvious, showing a large fault or failure

stresses obvious severity rather than urgent need for fix
egregious
vscrying
58 8.9

Very bad and obvious in a way that shocks people

highlights shocking badness rather than immediate need for action
insistent
vscrying
50 4.1

Demanding attention or action again and again in a firm way

signals insistence and urgency more than mere badness
flagrant
vscrying
  • Formal
24 7.0

Obvious and very bad in a way that shocks people

emphasizes bad and visible wrongdoing not urgent rescue
heart-breaking
vscrying
17 3.5

To make someone feel very sad and often cry

focuses on emotional pain rather than seriousness or urgency
glaring
vscrying
12 4.3

Very obvious and wrong in a way that shocks people

means clear obviousness rather than pressing need for action
exigent
vscrying
  • Formal
4 9.6

Needing immediate attention

is used to stress that something urgently needs attention
rank
vscrying
1 6.8

Complete and clearly wrong

is extreme badness used for emphasis rather than urgency
clamant
vscrying
  • Archaic
9.9

Being loud and urgent and demanding immediate action

expresses strong urgency or seriousness rather than calm concern

Idioms

for crying out loud
  • Informal
31 8.2

You say this when you feel very annoyed or impatient

crying shame
  • Informal
6 4.6

A very sad situation that makes people feel sorry

crying all the way to the bank
9.2

Making a lot of money while pretending to be unhappy

How Bad

crying
4.6
grave
  • Formal
181 4.2
serious
∞ 2.0
unfortunate
469 1.2

Surface Forms

crying positive

Morphology

crying = cry (opaque) = cry + ing

The word 'crying' in this context does not relate to the act of crying but is used idiomatically to emphasize urgency or seriousness.

Etymology

Crying (as in 'a crying shame') uses the same root crier meaning 'to shout'. It pictures something so bad that it 'cries' for attention, so a 'crying shame' is a wrong or loss that urgently needs notice.