cry

I UK [kraɪ] / US verb
Word forms "cry":
present tense I/you/we/they cry he/she/it cries present participle crying past tense cried UK [kraɪd] / US past participle cried
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1)

a) [intransitive/transitive] to have tears coming from your eyes, especially because you are sad

I'm sorry – please don't cry.

cry for:

She could hear her brother crying for his mother.

cry with pain/happiness/relief/rage etc:

Now she felt like crying with rage at her own stupidity.

cry over/about:

Laura was angry with herself for wasting time crying over him.

cry tears of rage/frustration/pain etc:

He cried tears of frustration at his inability to help.

cry yourself to sleep (= cry continuously until you sleep):

I cried myself to sleep at night for weeks after we broke up.

b) if a baby cries, it makes a loud noise because it is hungry or uncomfortable

2) [intransitive/transitive] to shout something

"That's not what I meant," Polly cried.

cry (something) in surprise/alarm/horror/delight etc:

"No!" he cried in horror.

cry for help:

Ted could hear a woman's voice crying for help.

cry someone's name:

She sometimes cries his name in her sleep.

3) [intransitive] if an animal or bird cries, it makes a loud noise

•

cry your eyes/heart out — informal to cry in an uncontrolled way

Lucy was upstairs crying her eyes out.

- cry foul

- cry on someone's shoulder

- cry over spilt milk

- for crying out loud

Phrasal verbs:

- cry off

- cry out

- cry out for

II UK [kraɪ] / US noun [countable]
Word forms "cry":
singular cry plural cries
**

1) a loud expression of emotion, especially pain, fear, or happiness

cry of:

a cry of pain/anguish

give/utter a cry:

The horses gave a cry of alarm.

2) something that someone shouts

There was a cry of "Fire!", and everyone started to panic.

3) the noise that an animal or bird makes

the cry of a wolf

4) [singular] a period of time when you have tears coming from your eyes, especially because you are sad

have a (good) cry:

She went to the toilet and had a good cry.

5) an urgent request for something

a cry for help:

Was cutting her wrists a cry for help, or was it a real attempt to kill herself?

6) an emotional reaction from the public

cry of:

A cry of outrage greeted the publication of his book.

In response to cries of protest, two ministers resigned.

•

- be a far cry from

- in full cry