cry

verb

/kraɪ/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they cry	/kraɪ/ /kraɪ/
he / she / it cries	/kraɪz/ /kraɪz/
past simple cried	/kraɪd/ /kraɪd/
past participle cried	/kraɪd/ /kraɪd/
-ing form crying	/ˈkraɪɪŋ/ /ˈkraɪɪŋ/

Idioms Phrasal Verbs

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[intransitive, transitive] to produce tears from your eyes because you are unhappy or hurt
- It's all right. Don't cry.
- I just couldn't stop crying.
- The little boy fell over and started to cry.
- cry for somebody/something The baby was crying for (= because it wanted) its mother.
- cry about/over something There's nothing to cry about.
- cry with something He felt like crying with rage.
- She threw her arms around his neck crying tears of joy.
- He started to cry real tears.
- + speech ‘Waaa!’ she cried.
- (informal) I found him crying his eyes out (= crying very much).
- That night she cried herself to sleep.
Vocabulary Building Cry
CryTo cry is the most general word for producing tears when you are unhappy or hurt, or when you are extremely happy.
- To sob means to cry noisily, taking sudden, sharp breaths.
- To wail means to cry in a loud high voice.
- To whimper means to cry making low, weak noises.
- To weep (literary or formal) means to cry quietly for a long time.
All these verbs can be used like ‘say’:
‘I don’t want you to go,’ she cried/wailed/sobbed.
- To be in tears means to be crying.
- To burst into tears means to suddenly begin to cry.
- To cry your eyes out means to cry a lot or for a long time, because you are very sad.
Extra Examples
- Anna was almost crying with frustration.
- Finally he broke down and cried like a baby.
- He put his head on his arms and cried bitterly.
- I felt like I wanted to cry.
- I felt like crying when I found out what had happened.
- I wasn't going to waste time crying over him!
- What are you crying about?
- children who are left to cry alone
Topics Feelingsa2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- a lot
- hard
- a little
- …
verb + cry
- begin to
- start to
- want to
- …
preposition
- about
- for
- over
- …
phrases
- cry like a baby
- cry your eyes out
- cry yourself to sleep
- …
See full entry
[intransitive, transitive] to shout loudly
- cry for something She ran to the window and cried for help.
- + speech ‘You're safe!’ Tom cried in delight.
Synonyms shout
shout
- yell
- cry
- scream
- cheer
- bellow
- raise your voice
These words all mean to say something in a very loud voice.
- shout to say something in a loud voice; to speak loudly and often angrily to somebody:
  Stop shouting and listen!
  ‘Run!’ he shouted.
- yell to shout loudly, for example because you are angry, excited, frightened or in pain:
  She yelled at the boy to get down from the wall.
- cry (rather formal or literary) to shout loudly:
  She ran over to the window and cried for help.
- scream to shout something in a loud high voice because you are afraid, angry or excited:
  He screamed at me to stop.
- cheer (especially of a crowd of people) to shout loudly to show support or praise for somebody, or to encourage them:
  We all cheered as the team came onto the field.
- bellow to shout in a loud deep voice, especially because you are angry:
  ‘Quiet!’ the teacher bellowed.
- raise your voice to speak loudly to somebody, especially because you are angry:
  She never once raised her voice to us.
Patterns
- to shout/yell/cry/raise your voice to somebody
- to shout/yell/scream/bellow at somebody
- to shout/yell/cry out/scream/bellow in pain/anguish/rage, etc.
- to shout/cry out/scream for joy/excitement/delight, etc.
- to shout/yell/cry out/scream with excitement/triumph, etc.
- to shout/yell/scream/bellow at somebody to do something
- to shout/yell/scream abuse
- to shout/yell/cry/scream for help
Extra Examples
- ‘Never!’ he cried angrily.
- ‘What do you mean?’ she cried in agitation.
- ‘Who's there?’ she cried in a shrill voice.
- She cried for help as the fire spread.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- aloud
- out
- suddenly
- …
verb + cry
- want to
- hear somebody
preposition
- in
phrases
- cry for help
- cry out in anguish, fear, pain
- etc.
- …
See full entry
[intransitive] (of a bird or an animal) to make a loud noise
- Seagulls followed the boat, crying loudly.
- A pair of eagles cried out to each other as they circled above the trees.

Word OriginMiddle English (in the sense ‘ask for earnestly or loudly’): from Old French crier (verb), cri (noun), from Latin quiritare ‘raise a public outcry’, literally ‘call on the Quirites (Roman citizens) for help’.

Idioms

cry foul

(informal) to complain that somebody else has done something wrong or unfair

cry over spilt milk (British English)

(US English cry over spilled milk)

to waste time worrying about something that has happened that you cannot do anything about
- As the saying goes—it's no use crying over spilt milk.

cry wolf

to call for help when you do not need it, with the result that when you do need it people do not believe you

for crying out loud

(informal) used to show you are angry or surprised
- For crying out loud! Why did you have to do that?

laugh till/until you cry

to laugh so long and hard that there are tears in your eyes

not know whether to laugh or cry

(informal) to be unable to decide how to react to a bad situation

a shoulder to cry on

used to describe a person who listens to your problems and gives you sympathy
- He was a fatherly shoulder to cry on when things went wrong.

cry

noun

/kraɪ/

(plural cries)

Idioms

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[countable] a loud sound without words that expresses a strong feeling
- cry of something to give a cry of anguish/despair/pain/joy/alarm, etc.
- A passer-by heard her muffled cries.
- a baby's cries
Extra Examples
- An involuntary cry escaped her as he entered the room.
- He fell to the ground with a cry.
- He was too weak to raise even the smallest of cries.
- She gave an agonized cry as they lifted the fallen branch from her leg.
- She stifled a small cry.
- He gave a loud cry of despair.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- great
- loud
- faint
- …
verb + cry
- give
- let out
- raise
- …
cry + verb
- echo
- go up
- ring out
- …
preposition
- with a cry
- cry for
- cry of
- …
See full entry
[countable] a loud shout
- With a cry of ‘Stop thief!’ he ran after the boy.
- Her answer was greeted with cries of outrage.
- He tried to yell out, but the hand muffled his cries.
- He heard cries in the distance.
- a plaintive cry for help
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- great
- loud
- faint
- …
verb + cry
- give
- let out
- raise
- …
cry + verb
- echo
- go up
- ring out
- …
preposition
- with a cry
- cry for
- cry of
- …
See full entry
[countable] the sound made by a bird or an animal
- the cry of gulls circling overhead
Extra Examples
- the hoarse cry of a crow
- The eagle gave a cry as it circled overhead.
[countable] a demand or request for something that is needed immediately
- cry for something Her suicide attempt was really a cry for help.
- a cry for justice
- We need a new leader who's ready to hear the cry of the people.
[singular] an action or a period of crying
- I felt a lot better after a good long cry.
- You'll feel better when you've had a good cry.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- good
- little
verb + cry
- have
See full entry
[countable] (especially in compounds) a word or phrase that expresses a group’s beliefs and calls people to action
- a battle cry
- His speech attacking the government has proved a rallying cry for party dissidents.
see also war cry

Idioms

a far cry from something

a very different experience from something synonym remote
- All this luxury was a far cry from the poverty of his childhood.

hue and cry

strong public protest about something
- Further cuts in welfare have raised a hue and cry among the American public.

in full cry

talking or shouting loudly and in an enthusiastic way
- The Leeds supporters were in full cry.