cry: Meaning and Definition of

cry

Pronunciation: (krī), [key]
— v., n., pl. cried, cry•ing, cries.
—v.i.
  1. to utter inarticulate sounds, esp. of lamentation, grief, or suffering, usually with tears.
  2. to weep; shed tears, with or without sound.
  3. to call loudly; shout; yell (sometimes fol. by out).
  4. to demand resolution or strongly indicate a particular disposition: The rise in crime cried out for greater police protection.
  5. to give forth vocal sounds or characteristic calls, as animals; yelp; bark.
  6. (of a hound or pack) to bay continuously and excitedly in following a scent.
  7. (of tin) to make a noise, when bent, like the crumpling of paper.
—v.t.
  1. to utter or pronounce loudly; call out.
  2. to announce publicly as for sale; advertise: to cry one's wares.
  3. to beg or plead for; implore: to cry mercy.
  4. to bring (oneself&hasp;) to a specified state by weeping: The infant cried itself to sleep.
  5. to disparage; belittle: Those people cry down everyone who differs from them.
  6. See(def. 2).
  7. to break a promise, agreement, etc.: We made arrangements to purchase a house, but the owner cried off at the last minute.
  8. to cry excessively or inconsolably: The little girl cried her eyes out when her cat died.
  9. See(def. 4).
  10. to praise; extol: to cry up one's profession.
—n.
  1. the act or sound of crying; any loud utterance or exclamation; a shout, scream, or wail.
  2. clamor; outcry.
  3. a fit of weeping: to have a good cry.
  4. the utterance or call of an animal.
  5. a political or party slogan.
  6. See
  7. an oral proclamation or announcement.
  8. a call of wares for sale, services available, etc., as by a street vendor.
  9. public report.
  10. an opinion generally expressed.
  11. an entreaty; appeal.
    1. a pack of hounds.
    2. a continuous baying of a hound or a pack in following a scent.
  12. This treatment is a far cry from that which we received before.
    1. quite some distance; a long way.
    2. only remotely related; very different:This treatment is a far cry from that which we received before.
  13. in hot pursuit: The pack followed in full cry.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
See also:
  • cry (Thesaurus)