to cry down
- phrasal verb
- /kraɪ daʊn/
- It's unfair to cry down his achievements simply because he is not as famous as others.
Examples
-
The critics have been quick to cry down the new film, calling it a boring rehash of old themes.
-
Many politicians cry down the proposed bill, arguing it would harm the economy.
-
Dibdin received four hundred pounds a year from Pitt's government to "disseminate loyalty and cry down democracy," directly challenging Thelwall—something Dibdin himself strenuously denied.
Academic text (2016)
Synonyms
82
5.1
To say cruel things to make people think less of someone
66
3.7
Think you are better than someone and treat them as less important
62
4.9
To make someone feel unimportant by saying bad things about them
54
5.9
To criticize someone strongly
52
5.0
To make someone or something seem not important
37
6.7
To speak to someone as if they are less smart or less important
19
6.6
Speak to someone as if they are less smart or important
1
6.8
Tell someone angrily that they did something wrong
1
9.9
To scold someone angrily
1
7.0
To say things that make other people feel small
1
8.6
To say bad things about someone to make them look worse
Antonyms
How Critical
39
7.9
- Formal
142
6.8
653
3.3
80
2.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
cry + down
The sense 'to belittle or disparage' is partially inferable because the particle 'down' often conveys reduction/denigration (compare put down, talk down), and 'cry' can mean to proclaim or shout, so together they can suggest publicly denouncing. However, the specific idiomatic sense is not fully predictable from the literal meanings (and 'cry' has varied senses), and the construction is relatively less frequent, so a B1 learner may not reliably derive the meaning without exposure.
Etymology
The verb cry down may come from the picture of someone loudly calling out (cry) to push a person or idea down in front of others. So the phrase now means 'to belittle or say bad things about' someone or something.