Crying
'kraɪɪŋ
Definitions
2 meaningsTo express emotion, typically sadness or pain, by shedding tears.
'kraɪɪŋ
To shed tears.
The baby was crying because she was hungry.
💡 Simply: Think about when you're really, really sad or maybe hurt. That's when tears come out, and that's what we call crying. Like when you scrape your knee and cry.
👶 For kids: When your eyes make water come out because you're sad or hurt, that's called crying.
More Examples
He started crying when he heard the bad news.
She couldn't stop crying after the argument.
How It's Used
"She was crying because she was sad."
"The protagonist cried in anguish after losing her friend."
To shout or call out loudly; to make a loud exclamation or call.
'kraɪɪŋ
To shout or call out loudly.
The vendor was crying his wares in the marketplace.
💡 Simply: Sometimes 'crying' means shouting really loud. Think of a cheerleader crying out cheers at a game.
👶 For kids: Sometimes crying means shouting really loud, like when you yell for your mommy.
More Examples
The children were crying for attention.
The speaker was crying out to the audience for change.
How It's Used
"The fans were crying out their support during the game."
"The speaker was crying his ideas during the presentation."
Idioms & expressions
cry over spilt milk
To waste time being upset about something that has already happened and cannot be changed.
"There's no point in crying over spilt milk; we have to focus on the next project."
cry wolf
To give a false alarm or warning.
"He cried wolf so many times, nobody believed him when he was actually in trouble."
From Middle English crien, from Old French crier (“to cry, shout”), from Vulgar Latin *crīgitāre, a frequentative verb based on Latin quīritāre (“to scream, wail”).
The word 'cry' has a long history, dating back to Old English and evolving through Middle English, reflecting the fundamental human experience of expressing emotions through sound and tears.