• IPA: /kɹaɪ̯/

cry

1. (intransitive) To shed tears; to weep.

   That sad movie always makes me cry.

2. (transitive) To utter loudly; to call out; to declare publicly.
   • c. 1603–1604, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act V, scene ii]:

     All, all, cry shame against ye, yet I'll speak.

   • The man […] ran on, crying, Life! life! Eternal life!

3. (ambitransitive) To shout, scream, yell.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981 ↗, Matthew 27:46 ↗:

     And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice.

4. (intransitive) To utter inarticulate sounds, as animals do.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981 ↗, Psalms 147:9 ↗:

     the young ravens which cry

   • 1610–1611, William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act V, scene i]:

     In a cowslip's bell I lie / There I couch when owls do cry.

5. (transitive) To cause to do something, or bring to some state, by crying or weeping.

   Tonight I'll cry myself to sleep.

6. To make oral and public proclamation of; to notify or advertise by outcry, especially things lost or found, goods to be sold, etc.

   to cry goods

   • Love is lost, and thus she cries him.

7. Hence, to publish the banns of, as for marriage.

   • I should not be surprised if they were cried in church next Sabbath.

• bawl
• blubber
• sob
• wail
• weep
• whimper
• See also Thesaurus:weep
• See also Thesaurus:shout

• laugh

• French: pleurer
• German: weinen
• Italian: piangere
• Portuguese: chorar
• Russian: пла́кать
• Spanish: llorar

• French: crier
• German: schreien
• Italian: gridare, urlare
• Portuguese: bradar, gritar
• Russian: крича́ть
• Spanish: gritar

• German: schreien
• Portuguese: gritar
• Spanish: gritar

cry (plural cries)

1. A shedding of tears; the act of crying.

   After we broke up, I retreated to my room for a good cry.

2. A shout or scream.

   I heard a cry from afar.

3. Words shouted or screamed.

   a battle cry

4. A clamour or outcry.
5. (collectively) A group of hounds.
   • c. 1595–1596, William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act IV, scene i]:

     A cry more tunable / Was never hollaed to, nor cheered with horn.

   • 1667, Milton, Paradise Lost, Book II, in Edward Hawkins, The Poetical Works of John Milton: With Notes of Various Authors, Vol. I, W. Baxter, J. Parker, G. B. Whittaker (publs., 1824) pages 124 to 126, lines 648 to 659.

     quote en

6. (by extension, obsolete, derogatory) A pack or company of people.
   • c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act III, scene ii]:

     Would not this […] get me a fellowship in a cry of players?

7. (of an animal) A typical sound made by the species in question.

   "Woof" is the cry of a dog, while "neigh" is the cry of a horse.

8. A desperate or urgent request.
9. (obsolete) Common report; gossip.
   • c. 1603–1604, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act IV, scene i]:

     The cry goes that you shall marry her.

• French: pleur
• German: Weinen
• Italian: pianto
• Portuguese: choro
• Russian: плач
• Spanish: llanto

• French: cri
• German: Schrei
• Italian: urlo
• Portuguese: brado, grito
• Russian: крик
• Spanish: grito

• German: Schrei
• Portuguese: grito
• Russian: крик
• Spanish: grito

• French: cri
• Italian: verso