cry

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To shed tears because you feel sad, hurt, or upset.

   She cried for hours after hearing the sad news.

2. 2
   verb

   To shout something loudly.

   "Help!" he cried as the water rose around him.

3. 3
   noun

   A loud shout, often showing a strong feeling.

   We heard a cry of joy from the next room.

4. 4
   noun

   A period of crying.

   After a good cry, she felt much better.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Cry came into Middle English through French from Latin quiritare, “to raise a public outcry,” literally “to call on the Quirites, or Roman citizens, for help.” Its earliest English senses included asking earnestly or loudly, and it soon became associated with sounds of sorrow or distress. Although tears were associated with crying in Middle English, the specific sense “shed tears” dates from the mid-16th century.

The verb is from Middle English crien (13th century), from Old French crier, from Vulgar Latin *crītāre, generally thought to derive from Classical Latin quirītāre (Proto-West Germanic *krītan has also been suggested as a source). The noun corresponds to Middle English cry, crie, from Old French cri, a deverbal of crier. etymology note Middle English crien eventually displaced native Middle English galen (“to cry out”) (from Old English galan), Middle English greden (“to cry out”) (from Old English grǣdan), Middle English yermen (“to bellow, mourn, lament”) (from Old English ġierman), Middle E…

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External links

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