Crier

'kraɪər

nounIntermediateRareGeneral

Definitions

1

A person who makes public announcements, often by shouting.

'kraɪər

nounneutralIntermediate
General

A person who publicly announces something.

The crier announced the cancellation of the festival.

💡 Simply: Imagine someone hired to shout important news in the town. That's a crier! They used to be super common before radios and newspapers.

👶 For kids: A crier is someone who yells out news or important things for everyone to hear, like a town announcer!

More Examples

2

The medieval crier would walk through the town proclaiming the king's messages.

3

Before modern communication, a crier would be hired to spread information throughout villages.

How It's Used

Historical

"Town criers were common in medieval times."

Ceremonial

"The royal crier announced the king's decree."

Idioms & expressions

cry wolf

To give a false alarm or warning.

"He cried wolf so many times, nobody believed him when he was actually in trouble."

cry your heart out

To weep or sob uncontrollably and emotionally.

"After the break-up, she cried her heart out."

From Middle English *criere*, from Old French *crieor*, from *crier* ('to cry, proclaim').

The term "crier" was prevalent in medieval societies, when town criers played a crucial role in disseminating news and announcements.

Memory tip

Think of someone shouting important news in the town square.

cryercreir

Usage

60%Spoken
40%Written